Celebrating
25 Years

In 1997 the citizens of Burkina Faso led a series of dialogues on the reforms needed in order to improve their democratic processes and institutions.

The Administration and Cost of Elections (ACE) Project make the material on elections available worldwide. It has become the most dynamic collection of information in its field and is accessed by almost 2 million online visitors per year.

International IDEA’s support for Indonesia’s democratic transition followed a two-track approach based on facilitating technical assistance in the electoral field and promoting political dialogue.

“Electoral Assistance is part of the Institute’s name. It is not so because we wanted an ‘E’ and an ‘A’ to finish ‘IDEA’. We wanted to signal that this Institute was more than a think tank; it had a practical mission as well as an intellectual one...” -- Sir Shridath Ramphal, former International IDEA Board Chairperson (1995-2001).

The International IDEA Handbook "Democracy at the Local Level" was developed in response to the pressures facing cities attempting to deal with globalization, growing urbanization and human migration.

International IDEA has been collecting comparative data on electoral processes and democracy related topics since its establishment in 1995.

International IDEA started working in Latin America in 1997, initially engaging with Peru, the only country in the region without a law on political parties.

Recognizing the obstacles to the implementation of long-term assistance, International IDEA and the European Commission developed a planning and training tool, Electoral Cycle, to help all electoral actors.

In implementing its follow-up actions to ICNRD-5, Mongolia chose International IDEA's State of Democracy assessment framework because it offered a practical template for assessing and monitor democracy's progress.

In April 2006, after mass protests, King Gyanendra of Nepal was forced to relinquish direct rule and establish multi-party government in the country.

In a historic commitment to democracy, the African Union (AU) adopted the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance. International IDEA’s relationship with the AU resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

In some circumstances, traditional mechanisms can complement conventional judicial systems and provide the potential for promoting justice, reconciliation, and a culture of democracy.

International IDEA’s engagement with the EU reached a new level after the EU Council adopted specific conclusions on democracy support (Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations) and a corresponding agenda for action (EU Agenda for Action on Democracy Support).

When the Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire on 17 December 2010 to protest police harassment and humiliation, no one could predict what would follow.

ConstitutionNet allows legislators, constitutional lawyers and other constitutional practitioners to find useful and relevant information, share knowledge and build a community of best practice.

The Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security was made up of eminent individuals from around the world.

International IDEA collected 38 case studies from field researchers analyzing how historically marginalized groups have managed to overcome their exclusion from democratic governance structures and processes. 

For over a decade, International IDEA has been a leading global force in the area of political finance and political parties law.

International IDEA compiled a series of interviews with national leaders on the role they each played in the transition to democracy in their own countries: Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa and Spain.