ECI to host the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management- 2026 from January 21-23

By PIB Delhi

1. The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM)–2026 from 21st to 23rd January, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The three-day international conference is being organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) under the aegis of ECI.
2. IICDEM 2026 will be the largest global conference of its kind hosted by India in the field of election management and democracy. It will be attended by nearly 100 international delegates representing Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from across the world, along with representatives from international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practicing experts in the field of elections.
3. The conference will carry forward the agenda laid out by Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, upon India’s assumption of the Chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for the year 2026, anchored in the theme “Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world.”
4. Director General, IIIDEM, Shri Rakesh Verma, held an interaction with media persons today, outlining the broad contours of IICDEM 2026. He stated that the conference will serve as a global platform for international cooperation among Election Management Bodies, enabling the development of a shared understanding of contemporary challenges, exchange of best practices and innovations, and co-creation of solutions. The address was followed by an unveiling of the official logo of IICDEM 2026.
5. IICDEM 2026 will also familiarise the participants, representing a significant proportion of the global electorate, with India’s electoral framework, processes, and technological innovations that have made Indian elections an exemplar among democracies.
6. The conference programme will include general and plenary sessions such as the Inaugural Session, EMB Leaders’ Plenary, EMB Working Group Meetings, and the launch of ECINet, along with thematic sessions covering global electoral themes, model international electoral standards, and best practices and innovations in electoral processes.
7. During the three-day conference, ECI, led by the Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will be holding over 40 bilateral meetings with the heads of participating EMBs and other international delegates.
8. The conference will also see participation from leading academic institutions, including 4 IITs, 6 IIMs, 12 NLUs, and IIMCs, with 36 thematic groups led by CEOs of States/UTs and national and international academic experts contributing to deliberations.
9. After the press conference, media persons were also given a tour of the IIIDEM, Dwarka campus, which is fast emerging as one of the world’s largest institutes for capacity building in the organisation and conduct of elections, developing global standards, and reinforcing India’s leadership role in global democratic cooperation.