IICDEM to be held from January 21

The Election Commission of India on Thursday held a conference of chief electoral officers (CEOs) at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi as preparations intensified for the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) scheduled later this month.

The conference, addressed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, focused on operational and thematic preparations for IICDEM 2026, which will be held from January 21 to 23 at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.

According to the ECI, the CEOs were briefed on the structure of the international conference and their roles in leading thematic discussions. The CEOs will head 36 breakout groups during IICDEM 2026, covering different aspects of election management and democratic processes.

IICDEM 2026 will see participation from nearly 100 international delegates representing 42 election management bodies from across the world. Delegations from countries including the United States and Bhutan have confirmed participation, along with representatives from international organisations and foreign missions based in India.

The three-day conference is being organised by IIIDEM under the aegis of the ECI, as India assumes the chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for 2026. The conference will follow the chairship theme, “Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world.”

Election Commission officials said the conference will provide a platform for cooperation among election management bodies, facilitate discussions on shared challenges, and enable the exchange of practices and innovations related to voter participation, institutional independence, and election administration.

The programme for IICDEM 2026 includes general and plenary sessions such as the inaugural session, an election management bodies leaders’ plenary, working group meetings, and the launch of ECINet, the Election Commission’s integrated digital platform. In addition, over 40 bilateral meetings are scheduled between the Chief Election Commissioner, election commissioners, and heads of participating election authorities.

Thematic discussions at the conference will be organised under two broad pillars: reimagining democracy for the future, and the role of professional and independent election management bodies in sustaining democratic systems.

The 36 breakout groups to be led by Chief Electoral Officers will focus on global electoral themes, model international electoral standards, and best practices and innovations in electoral processes. These discussions are intended to build a body of knowledge drawing from the experiences of election management bodies operating in different political, legal, and social contexts.

Election Commission officials said the conference would also familiarise international participants with India’s electoral framework, administrative processes, and technological systems used in the conduct of elections, including roll revision exercises and voter registration mechanisms.

Academic participation in IICDEM 2026 will include representatives from four Indian Institutes of Technology, six Indian Institutes of Management, 12 National Law Universities, and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. National and international academic experts will contribute to discussions alongside election administrators.

Officials said the conference is intended to institutionalise regular international engagement on election management and strengthen cooperation among election authorities at a time when electoral systems globally face operational, technological, and regulatory challenges.

The Election Commission said further preparatory meetings will be held in the coming days as final arrangements are put in place for the international conference.