Forging a future for democracy: Highlights from International IDEA'’s 30th Anniversary
Our anniversary celebrations kicked off in Stockholm 9–12 June, hosting one of the largest global gatherings of electoral authorities. Representatives from over 40 countries came together, culminating in the signing of the Stockholm Consensus on Electoral Integrity—a unified commitment to safeguarding democratic processes.
In partnership with the Swedish Parliament and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, we held high-level dialogues on the state of global democracy. These dialogues were led by prominent speakers included Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, and Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar. We also launched a pivotal report on the lessons learned from the 2024 ‘Super-cycle’ of elections, Review of the 2024 Super-Cycle Year of Elections: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, offering critical insights for the future of electoral support worldwide.
Amplifying voices from the Global South in Pretoria
On 19 and 20 June, our Africa and West Asia team organized a 30th anniversary commemorative event in Pretoria, South Africa. Around 200 prominent voices from the Global South gathered at a conference on the future of democracy in Africa, organized in collaboration with the Government of South Africa. This dialogue culminated in the Pretoria Consensus, a forward-looking document capturing key strategies to strengthen democratic resilience across the continent and beyond.
Capturing global attention
The significance of these discussions resonated globally, attracting extensive coverage from leading international media. Our ‘Super-cycle' report was featured by major news agencies such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), EFE, LUSA and the Press Trust of India. Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora’s analysis reached a wide audience through an op-ed in Sweden’s leading daily, Dagens Nyheter.
Outlets including El País, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The EU Observer, The Jakarta Post and the South China Morning Post were among the many that covered our anniversary events, amplifying our message across continents.
A mandate for the future, backed by 30 years of impact
These milestones reaffirm International IDEA’s position as a global leader in democracy research and assistance.
This was formally recognized by our Council of Member States in its official anniversary statement:
‘Building on its core mission of providing electoral assistance, International IDEA has improved and consolidated electoral institutions, supported constitution-building processes across continents, promoted political rights and representation, become one of the world’s most trusted sources of comparative research on democracy, and addressed the challenges to democracy posed by digitalization and climate change.’
Energized by these powerful endorsements and the new commitments forged during our anniversary, International IDEA looks to the future with a renewed purpose. We will continue to champion democracy as a universal human aspiration and an enabler of sustainable development, by supporting the building, strengthening, and safeguarding of democratic institutions and processes at all levels.
