In 2025 International IDEA strengthened its role as a trusted partner to the European Union—the world’s largest democracy supporter—ensuring democracy remains central to EU policymaking and programming.

The Institute engaged with the Commission’s proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework and the Global Europe initiative, helping anchor democracy support as a strategic priority.

In 2025 International IDEA deepened its engagement with the UN by anchoring democracy, governance and inclusion within UN processes. On the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the Institute convened a high-level round table aimed at renewing global democracy cooperation among International IDEA Member States, civil society and multilateral partners, reinforcing democracy as central to a resilient multilateral system.

Advocacy remained a central pillar of International IDEA’s work in 2025. Through the #DemocracyForAll campaign, International IDEA advanced a strong inclusion agenda by developing and deploying new databases, analytical tools, publications, podcasts and digital content addressing themes such as democracy assistance, migration and democratic resilience. This commitment to inclusion also shaped the Institute’s 30th-anniversary activities and informed the Pretoria Consensus—a key contribution to global thinking on reimagining democracy in the Global South.

In 2025 International IDEA continued convening the Global Democracy Coalition, uniting more than 180 democracy partners across Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe. Regional forums in Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Milan and Nairobi deepened cooperation on polarization, civic innovation, environmental justice and youth‑driven digital rights. These dialogues shaped a shared global agenda, reaffirming that diverse democratic contexts face common challenges. 

Trust in democracy is declining worldwide, and parliaments face growing pressure to connect with citizens. To address these issues, Inter Pares, together with the International Parliament Engagement Network and with EU support, developed eight interactive Citizen Engagement Guides. Built on extensive global research, these guides shift the focus from citizens as spectators to citizens as active participants. They provide parliaments, staff, civil society and scholars with actionable frameworks for deliberation, co-creation and inclusive decision making.

In January 2025 the president of Ghana established a Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to develop recommendations to strengthen the country’s Constitution as an engine for democratic development. International IDEA supported Ghana—a Member State since 2008—by providing training and technical advice and convening officials and civil society. In December 2025 the CRC submitted its recommendations to the president, and International IDEA—together with Member State partners—is now supporting the next phases of the process as the Government looks to implement the recommendations.

In 2023 International IDEA launched a digitalization and democracy workstream to safeguard democratic processes from digital threats, as the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in electoral processes is outpacing many institutions’ ability to fully understand its impact.

International IDEA advanced its climate change and democracy work in 2025 by demonstrating how democratic innovation can strengthen climate action globally. In Brazil, the Institute partnered with Delibera Brasil to pilot two climate assemblies that brought citizens, local governments and civil society together to shape priorities for climate finance ahead of COP30. Their recommendation —shared with governments, donors and development banks—helped bridge the gap between community needs and global climate finance actors.

In December 2025, 192 States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) adopted the first-ever UN resolution dedicated to political finance transparency at the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties in Doha. This milestone reflects years of advocacy and technical leadership by International IDEA, in close collaboration with partner organizations.