India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, assumed the Chairship of the Council of Member States of the International IDEA for 2026 during a formal event held in Stockholm, Sweden.

About

• International IDEA is the global intergovernmental organisation with the mandate of supporting democracy worldwide.
• It was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
• It provides strategic direction and oversight to strengthen democratic political institutions and processes worldwide.
• It has 35 member countries (including India as a founding member) and two observers (USA and Japan).
• It has held observer status at the UN General Assembly since 2003.
• The core focus areas include electoral processes, constitution-building, political participation and representation, democracy assessment, digitalization, and the nexus between democracy and climate change.
• The Chairship rotates annually and regionally among member states.
• The Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, is responsible for implementing programmes.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership to International IDEA.
• Oversees democracy support programmes.
• Guides work on electoral processes, constitution-building, and political participation.
• Promotes democratic values at global and national levels.
• Supports policy development and institutional strengthening.