International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that helps countries create fair and strong democratic systems. It works with governments, experts, and citizens to ensure elections are free and fair and that democratic rules work well for everyone.

International IDEA has offices around the world, including in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and West Asia, and North America. Its main office is in Stockholm, Sweden.

As of August 2019, Kevin Casas Zamora leads the organization as secretary-general. Before this, he was Costa Rica's Vice President and Minister of National Planning. Before him, Yves Leterme, who was a former deputy secretary-general at the OECD and Prime Minister of Belgium, held the position from 2014 to 2019. International IDEA is also an official United Nations Observer.

History

The 1990s were a time when many countries worked to build better democracies. Some places, like Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, moved toward democracy after tough times with strict rulers. In South Korea, Kim Dae-jung became president. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela was released after many years in prison, helping that country become more democratic.

Because many people needed help learning how to make democracy work, Sweden and 13 other countries decided to create the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, known as International IDEA. The official meeting to start International IDEA happened on February 27–28, 1995, with 14 countries joining together: Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. The group focused on sharing information, doing research, creating guides, and helping countries improve their democratic processes.

In 2025, Gyanesh Kumar from India took on an important leadership role in International IDEA during a visit to Stockholm, Sweden.

Mission

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, called International IDEA, helps countries build strong and fair democracies. It shares knowledge, helps leaders and experts work together, and makes tools to improve voting and government. International IDEA also supports local people in checking and improving their democracies.

Key activities

International IDEA helps make sure elections around the world are fair and open. It started in 1995 and works with many groups like election officials, lawmakers, and community leaders. It shares ideas and tools to help build strong, trustworthy voting systems.

The organization also helps countries write fair rules for their governments. It offers advice and learning tools so everyone can take part in making important decisions. International IDEA studies how well democracies are working and shares what it finds to help improve them. It launched a project in 2016 to look at democracy worldwide, with reports showing how things are changing.

International IDEA provides online tools and data for anyone to explore, like information on how many people vote, ways to design voting systems, and laws about money in politics. It also has special status as a UN observer.

Members

International IDEA is an organization that helps countries improve their democracies. It started with 14 countries, including Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Chile, and Sweden. By 2024, it had grown to include 35 member countries such as Brazil, Canada, Germany, and India. Japan is an official observer, while the United States left in January 2026.

These countries used to take turns hosting meetings called Democracy Forums. These forums helped everyone talk about important issues like stopping corruption, making leaders responsible, and involving young people in decision-making.

Internal structure

International IDEA has about 300 people working in offices around the world. Its biggest office is in Stockholm, Sweden. Other offices are in New York, USA; Washington, DC, USA; Brussels, Belgium; The Hague, Netherlands; Kathmandu, Nepal; Abuja, Nigeria; Suva, Fiji; Thimphu, Bhutan; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; Asunción, Paraguay; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Tunis, Tunisia; and Canberra, Australia.

The group also has a special representative to the United Nations, working in New York City.