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| Abbreviation | International IDEA |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 28, 1995; 30 years ago (1995-02-28)[1] |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Purpose | Supporting sustainable democracy worldwide |
| Headquarters | Strömsborg, SE-103 34 |
| Location |
|
Region served | Global |
Secretariat | Kevin Casas-Zamora |
| Website | idea |
TheInternational Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is anintergovernmental organization that works to support and strengthen democratic institutions and processes around the world, to develop sustainable, effective and legitimate democracies. It has regional offices inEurope,Latin America and the Caribbean,Asia and the Pacific, Africa and West Asia, and North America. The organization is headquartered inStockholm, Sweden.[2]
Kevin Casas Zamora is the secretary-general as of August 2019. Previously, Casas Zamora was Costa Rica's second Vice President and Minister of National Planning.Yves Leterme, former deputy secretary-general at theOECD and former Prime Minister of Belgium, was the previous secretary-general from 2014 to 2019. Leterme replacedVidar Helgesen.
International IDEA is an officialUnited Nations Observer.[3]
The early 1990s were marked by challenges to democracy worldwide. The violent crackdown inTiananmen Square in China happened in 1989, andChile,Brazil,Uruguay andArgentina were all on a slow, difficult road toward democracy after having suffered similarly cruel military coups and dictatorships. Despite a long tradition of autocracy inSouth Korea, democratic dissidentKim Dae-jung became president.Nelson Mandela's release in 1990 after serving 28 years in prison marked South Africa's first step toward democracy. There were also wide-ranging discussions in other parts of Africa and Asia about how to incorporate democratic norms into their traditions and cultures.[citation needed]
More and more people around the world needed good advice about a number of choices that had to be made in order to make democracy work. In response to this need Sweden, along with 13 other countries took the initiative to found The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, International IDEA.
The Founding Conference of International IDEA took place on 27–28 February 1995 and involved 14 founding states:Australia,Barbados,Belgium,Chile,Costa Rica,Denmark,Finland,India, theNetherlands,Norway,Portugal,South Africa,Spain andSweden. The institute's four initial fields of activity were defined as: (1) the creation of a databank and provision of information services; (2) research; (3) establishing and promotion of guidelines and (4) offering advisory and capacity-building services.[1]
The institute's original structure consisted of a board of 9–15 persons, appointed in their personal capacities rather than as representatives of member states, which developed the work programme. The council (composed of one representative of each member and associate member) was responsible for approving the work programme and budget—despite not being consulted about their development—and for making sure the contributions supported the work program. A founding 'nucleus' board was established that comprisedShridath Ramphal,Adama Dieng andDavid Steel. Bengt Säve-Söderbergh, who was instrumental in the process of creating International IDEA from the start, was appointed its first secretary-general. Due to practical difficulties and overlapping responsibilities between the board and council, this model later changed.
International IDEA was able to immediately start work designing ethical codes and professional rules and guidelines for electoral processes, and developed three extremely useful handbooks in the very beginning on Electoral System Design,[4] Democracy and Deep-rooted Conflict,[5] and Women in Parliament.[6]
As part of the institute's 20th anniversary celebration in 2015, Bengt Säve-Söderbergh wrote an essay, "The Birth of an IDEA",[7] that captures how the organization was born and its relevancy. Säve-Söderbergh is the first secretary-general of International IDEA.
In December 2025,Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)Gyanesh Kumar assumed chairship of the council of member states of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for 2026. He assumed the role during his visit ofStockholm, Sweden on the 3 December 2025.[8][9]
International IDEA's mission is to "International IDEA advances, promotes and protects sustainable democracy worldwide in consideration of human rights commitments through policy-relevant knowledge, capacity development, advocacy, and the convening of dialogues".[10] Additionally, International IDEA is dedicated to the following tasks:
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International IDEA offers several online tools and databases including the Voter Turnout Database, Electoral Risk Management tool and the IntegriTAS Threat Assessment System.[14] Anyone can access data on topics such asvoter turnout, electoral system design,[15] quotas for women and political finance laws and regulations.[16] Issues of gender, diversity, conflict and security are also addressed. Data from the International IDEA Political Finance Database relating to political disclosure is used as an indicator of public transparency and accountability in theBasel AML Index, a money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment tool developed by theBasel Institute on Governance.
International IDEA has been grantedUN observer status.
International IDEA's founding Member States wereAustralia,Barbados,Belgium,Chile,Costa Rica,Denmark,Finland,India,Netherlands,Norway,Portugal,South Africa,Spain, andSweden.[1]
As of 2024[update] the 35 Member States include: Australia, Barbados, Belgium,Benin,Botswana,Brazil,Canada,Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica,Dominican Republic,Estonia, Finland, France,Germany,Ghana, India,Indonesia,Luxembourg,Mauritius,Mexico,Mongolia,Namibia, Netherlands, Norway,Panama,Peru,Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland,Tunisia andUruguay.Japan has official observer status.[17] TheUnited States had observer status but left the organization in January 2026.[18][19]
In the past, Member States took turns hosting a Democracy Forum that encouraged dialogue across Member States and with civil society actors, academia and youth. Past Democracy Forum topics have included anti-corruption, accountability, natural resource management and youth participation.[citation needed]
International IDEA's nearly 300 staff members are located in various offices worldwide. The headquarters is in Stockholm, Sweden, with additional offices inNew York, USA; Washington, DC, USA,Brussels, Belgium;The Hague, Netherlands;Kathmandu,Nepal; Abuja, Nigeria;Suva, Fiji;Thimphu, Bhutan;Santiago, Chad; The Gambia; Kenya; Sierra Leone, Chile;Lima, Panama City, Panama;Peru;Asunción;Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Tunis, Tunisia;Canberra, Australia.
The organization is also a permanent representative to theUnited Nations, based inNew York City.
