During UNGA High-Level Week (21–25 September 2026), International IDEA will convene a programme of high-level dialogues and strategic engagements in collaboration with its Member States and partners. As a Permanent Observer to the United Nations, International IDEA will bring together political leaders, policymakers and practitioners to address pressing challenges to democracy, strengthen democratic resilience and reinforce the place of democratic governance in the UN and multilateral agenda.

At the heart of International IDEA’s engagement is a central message: stronger democracy and stronger multilateralism are mutually reinforcing.
 

SIDE EVENTS

High-Level Dialogue of the Global Commission of Democracy and Multilateralism: "From Recommendations to Implementation: Advancing Democracy through Multilateral Cooperation" 

22 September 2026, 15:00 -17:00 (EDT), Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, 320 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017, United States (by invitation only)

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Club de Madrid and International IDEA will convene a High-Level Dialogue of the Global Commission on Democracy and Multilateralism, “From Recommendations to Implementation: Advancing Democracy through Multilateral Cooperation,” and launch its report during UNGA High-Level Week.

The Commission brings together former Heads of State and Government, senior international leaders and democracy experts to develop recommendations for strengthening democracy through multilateral cooperation at a time of growing pressure on both.

The event will present the Commission’s key findings and explore their implementation with UN Member States and other stakeholders. Following presentation of the report by Commission Chair George Papandreou and Vice-Chairs Aminata Touré and Kevin Casas-Zamora, a high-level panel will feature Michelle Bachelet, Laura Chinchilla, Stefan Löfven, Mokgweetsi Masisi and Gordon Brown. An interactive dialogue will then invite Member States to respond and discuss practical pathways for advancing the recommendations. 

A Dialogue with United Nations Secretary-General Candidates on Democracy and Human Rights  

23 September, 09:00-10.30 (EDT), Open Society Foundations, 101 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, United States 

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This high-level panel discussion will bring together candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations Maria Fernanda Espinosa and global leaders to discuss the mandate, authority, room for maneouvre and tools available to the Secretary-General, an increasingly challenged global democracy landscape and democratic backsliding among UN Member States, and the practical opportunities for the next officeholder to strengthen the UN’s contribution to democracy, human rights and civic space. The dialogue will be moderated by CNN journalist Larry Madowo.The panel discussion will be moderated by CNN journalist Larry Madowo.

Side Event: “Geopolitics, Multilateralism, and Democratic Futures: Implications and Evidence from the Horn of Africa” 

24 September 2026, 12.30-14:30 (EDT), Open Society Foundations, 101 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, United States.

Register here to attend.

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International IDEA, the Horn Centre for Democracy (HCD), and Open Society-Africa invite to a panel discussion on how evolving geopolitical competition, changing conflict dynamics, and an emerging multilateral order are reshaping prospects for peace and democratization in the Horn of Africa. The discussion seeks to bring regional evidence into global policy conversations on democracy, peacebuilding, and international cooperation. 

STATEMENTS

ANALYSIS

International IDEA will leverage UNGA 81 as a strategic platform to advance its thought leadership, publishing a series of reports and news articles that connect the key themes of UNGA 81 High-Level Week with emerging challenges and opportunities for democracy, multilateralism and global governance. The following publications will be available online during the week of 14 September 2026.