The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, is participating in the three-day India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management, held in New Delhi from 21 to 23 January 2026.
According to a Wednesday statement posted on INEC’s official X handle, the high-level conference is organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), in collaboration with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
The event coincides with the assumption of office of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, as Chair of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for 2026.
The opening session, held at Bharat Mandapam, featured welcome remarks by the Director General of IIIDEM and the screening of a documentary titled India Decides, highlighting the evolution of elections in India and the extensive measures deployed by ECI to ensure credible and peaceful electoral processes.
Dr. Kevin Casa-Zamora, Secretary-General of International IDEA, noted that the conference theme—“Democracy for an Inclusive, Peaceful, Resilient and Sustainable World”—aims to foster a shared global vision on contemporary challenges confronting Election Management Bodies (EMBs) while promoting best practices and model standards in election administration.
He emphasized that the objective aligns with India’s ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—“the world is one family.”
The conference centered on two key thematic pillars: Reimagining Democracy for the Future and Independent and Professional Election Management Bodies as Foundations for Sustainable Democracy.
Over the three days, participants engaged in plenary sessions, closed-door leadership discussions, and thematic workshops covering the entire electoral cycle.
Topics included legal frameworks, voter registration, political participation, campaign regulation, polling and counting processes, and election technology.
Emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, misinformation, electoral risk management, sustainability, and democratic inclusion were also addressed.
The event attracted nearly 500 national and international delegates, including chairpersons and senior officials of EMBs, academics, and experts from leading institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), and National Law Universities (NLUs).
Professor Amupitan, accompanied by the Acting Director-General of INEC’s The Electoral Institute (TEI), Professor Ibrahim Sani, participated in a plenary session on Laws and Rules Governing Electoral Democracies at MR7.
During his address, he highlighted the potential and limitations of legal regulation in democratic governance, stressing the need for balanced, enforceable, and context-sensitive frameworks that strengthen electoral integrity while safeguarding democratic freedoms.
The conference offered a valuable platform for peer learning and international cooperation, reinforcing INEC’s commitment to continuous improvement through global best practices in election management.
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