ECI to host India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management from Jan 21-23

New Delhi [India], January 7 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the inaugural India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM)-2026 from January 21 to 23 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the poll body said on Wednesday.
The three-day international conference is being organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) under the aegis of ECI.
India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management Director General Rakesh Verma said, "We have invited over 80 countries to this conference. 45 election bodies are participating in this event. Respectively, countries' foreign missions here in India will participate."
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 around the world, along with representatives from international organisations, foreign missions in India, and academic and practising experts in elections.
The conference will advance the agenda laid out by the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, following India's assumption of the Chairmanship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for 2026, anchored in the theme "Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world."
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, the exchange of best practices and innovations, and the co-creation of solutions. The address was followed by the unveiling of IICDEM 2026's official logo.
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.
The conference programme will include general and plenary sessions, such as the Inaugural Session, the EMB Leaders' Plenary, the 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.
During the three-day conference, ECI, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, will hold over 40 bilateral meetings with the heads of participating EMBs and other international delegates.
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.
After the press conference, journalists 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, the development of global standards, and the reinforcement of India's leadership role in global democratic cooperation.