India Hosts Global Democracy Summit 2026: ECI Leads Election Management Talks

The three-day international conference is being organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) under the aegis of the ECI.

IICDEM 2026 is set to be the largest global conference hosted by India in the field of election management and democracy. The event will be attended by nearly 100 international delegates, representing Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from across the world, along with representatives of international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practising experts in electoral processes.

The conference will advance the agenda outlined by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following India's assumption of the Chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for 2026. The discussions will be anchored in the theme, "Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world."

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Director General, IIIDEM, Rakesh Verma, outlined the broad contours of IICDEM 2026, describing it as a global platform for fostering international cooperation among EMBs.

He said the conference aims to develop a shared understanding of contemporary electoral challenges, facilitate the exchange of best practices and innovations, and enable the co-creation of solutions. The interaction was followed by the unveiling of the official logo of IICDEM 2026.

The conference will also familiarise participants -- representing a significant proportion of the global electorate -- with India's electoral framework, processes and technological innovations, which have made Indian elections a global benchmark among democracies.

The programme will feature inaugural and plenary sessions, including the Inaugural Session, EMB Leaders' Plenary, EMB Working Group Meetings, and the launch of ECINet, alongside thematic sessions on global electoral issues, international electoral standards, and best practices and innovations in election management.

During the three-day event, the ECI -- led by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi -- will hold over 40 bilateral meetings with heads of participating EMBs and other international delegates.

The conference will also witness participation from leading academic institutions, including four IITs, six IIMs, 12 National Law Universities (NLUs) and IIMCs, with 36 thematic groups led by State and UT Chief Electoral Officers, as well as national and international academic experts, contributing to the deliberations.

Following the press conference, media persons were given a tour of the IIIDEM Dwarka campus, which is rapidly emerging as one of the world's largest institutes for capacity building in election management, development of global electoral standards, and reinforcement of India's leadership in international democratic cooperation.

- IANS