Throughout the year, International IDEA has actively worked with the host country and 2020 Chair of the Council of Member States, Sweden. The Institute organized several events to support the Drive for Democracy, a Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs initiative.
In March, International IDEA arranged a roundtable discussion with female Members of Parliament in Myanmar, together with the Embassy of Sweden Section Office in Yangon. In June, the Embassy of Sweden to the Republic of Korea and International IDEA co-organized a high-level webinar to examine the pandemic’s potential consequences for democracy worldwide using the case studies of Australia, the Republic of Korea and Sweden. The foreign affairs ministers from Australia, South Korea and Sweden took part in the event, together with experts from the three countries. As part of Sweden’s ‘Democracy Talks’, International IDEA organized an online event on Filipino Youth’s Democratic Participation in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden to the Philippines in December.
International IDEA’s Secretary-General participated in the Swedish Parliament’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN), where he spoke about the state of democracy around the world and the need to defend democratic values worldwide. The seminar—which focused on the UN and the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law—featured speakers such as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, UN experts and members of the Swedish Parliament.
Feature photo: Anders Löwdin/Sveriges riksdag.