Switzerland’s 2025 Chairship: Advancing democracy, inclusion and prosperity

In 2025, Switzerland assumed the Chairship of International IDEA’s Council of Member States, steering the organization through a landmark year marking its 30th anniversary. Throughout its Chairship, Switzerland contributed to more than 20 International IDEA events and activities across the globe. From Dakar to Jakarta and Santiago to Brussels, the support of Switzerland enabled the Institute to deepen its global engagement.

Switzerland chose the interplay between democracy, inclusion and prosperity, key drivers of sustainable peace and development, as the main theme and objective for the Chairship. The Chairship agenda built on the country’s own experience in democracy and governance, inclusive peacebuilding, economic empowerment and democratic traditions. Switzerland’s efforts to highlight democracy as engine of social development and shared prosperity were carried out amid an increasingly challenging landscape for democracy and democracy assistance.

A highlight of the Swiss Chairship was the anniversary week in Stockholm on 10-12 June 2025, marked by rich dialogue, renewed commitments, and strategic reflection. The extraordinary meeting of the Council of Member States, chaired by Patricia Danzi, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, culminated in a joint public statement by the Council of Member States, calling for continued and elevated efforts to protect and strengthen democracy. Director General Danzi also spoke on a panel of a high-level event hosted at the invitation of the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard.

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The High-Level Dialogue on “Re-imagining Democracy in Africa: Comparative Experiences from the Global South” held in Pretoria on 19-20 June 2025 was co-hosted by International IDEA, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, African Union, the Open Society Foundations, the European Union and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Government of South Africa. Switzerland supported the organization of dialogues that resulted in an agreement to share The Pretoria Consensus which includes the participants’ collective commitments to a democracy founded in people, justice and action.

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In October 2025, International IDEA, together with the Embassy of Switzerland to the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS), hosted a 30th anniversary event in Washington D.C. at the OAS. The event, focusing on the Swiss Chairship theme on the nexus between democracy and prosperity and celebrating 24 years of the Interamerican Democratic Charter, featured remarks from distinguished speakers, including Nobel Laureate and MIT professor Daron Acemoglu and the newly appointed Secretary-General of the OAS Albert Ramdin.

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A regional 30th anniversary event for Latin America was held on 3-4 September 2025 in Santiago, Chile, under the theme “Supporting the Advancement of Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean for a More Inclusive and Prosperous Region” with support from the Swiss Embassy in Chile. Chile’s President Gabriel Boric opened the meeting, reaffirming Chile’s commitment to democracy and human rights, while former President Michelle Bachelet joined a high-level dialogue on democracy, inclusion and prosperity in Latin America. Other prominent speakers included Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Alberto van Klaveren and Switzerland’s Ambassador to Chile Markus N. P. Dutly who highlighted Switzerland's commitment to inclusive development and democratic governance.

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Switzerland’s support also enabled events in Asia and the Pacific, where the 30th  anniversary events rounded off in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 26 November 2025. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Council of Member States, Switzerland and Indonesia, jointly organized a Roundtable Discussion titled “Political Rights of Overseas Citizens in the Global Mobility Era,” with the support of International IDEA.

The Swiss Ambassador to Indonesia Olivier Zehnder provided impactful opening remarks while Indah Nuria Savitri, Director of Human Rights and Migration Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, brought insights as a keynote speaker and panelist. The roundtable addressed issues related to democratic legitimacy, citizenship, and political inclusion within the framework of an increasingly mobile global population. It also drew on insights from International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2025 Report, presented by International IDEA’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Leena Rikkilä Tamang.

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Switzerland effectively leveraged its Chairship to amplify democratic values and principles and the mission of International IDEA. Through the strong partnership on the Institute’s 30th anniversary program, exemplary leadership of the Institute’s governance agenda and active messaging about the Chairship, Switzerland left a legacy of inclusive and global democratic cooperation and ambitious leadership. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, as well as the Embassy of Switzerland in Sweden headed by Ambassador Adrian Junker played an instrumental role in driving the success of the Chairship.

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The 2025 Chairship laid fertile ground for continued and intensified collaboration between International IDEA and Switzerland. During Secretary-General Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora’s official visit to Bern in November 2025, meetings with a diverse range of Swiss stakeholders reinforced the joint ambition to advance, promote and protect sustainable democracy worldwide. International IDEA remains committed to supporting Switzerland in advancing its democratic governance priorities as the country passes the Chairship torch to India for 2026.