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Annual Review 2023

International IDEA

Secretary-general
Secretary-general signature
Secretary-General of International IDEA
Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora

A message from the Secretary-General

Democracy faces critical challenges around the world, from polarization and authoritarianism to disinformation and climate change. What’s more, these issues are not unique to developing countries or to nascent democracies. They are problems common to all democracies, and they require collective solutions. In such a context, the unique mandate of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) to support sustainable democracy globally has become more important than ever.

International IDEA’s reach around the world

United Nations

Annika Silva-Leander, Head of North America and Permanent Observer to the UN, presents her credentials to UN Secretary-General H. E. António Guterres, on 16 June 2023. Credit: UN Photo

United Nations General Assembly

President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (left) is greeted by Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, at the 2023 UN General Assembly in New York. Credit: International IDEA

The Gambia

The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow (fourth from right) meets with International IDEA staff member Maurice Mboula Jean-Claude Didier Enguelegue (at left) in 2023. Credit: International IDEA

Mauritius

The President of Mauritius H. E. Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun (right) receives a gift from Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora. Credit International IDEA

Botswana

Botswana President H. E. Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi regards the gift shared by Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora during a visit to Botswana, an International IDEA Member State since 1997. Image courtesy of Daily News

Nigeria

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora greets former President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan at the Special Envoys Retreat on Constitutional Transitions convened by International IDEA in Abuja, Nigeria, October 2023. Credit: International IDEA

Bhutan

H. E. Dasho Tashi Dorji, Chairperson of the National Council of Bhutan from 2018 to 2023 (centre) pictured with Pema Tenzin (left), International IDEA Project Manager for Bhutan, and Leena Rikkilä Tamang (right), International IDEA Director for the Asia and the Pacific region. Credit: International IDEA

On 9 June 2023, Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora (left), signed a memorandum of understanding with Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization. Credit: International IDEA

Belgium

Event of the Global State of Democracy 2023 Report, Brussels, 17 November 2023. From left: Marilyn Neven, Programme Manager EU
Liaison, International IDEA; H.E. Anders Eide, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the European Union; H.E. Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belgium; Sam van der Staak, Director for Europe, International IDEA. Credit: Bruno Maes

Professor Eddy Maloka, CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism, and Roba Sharamo, International IDEA Director for the Africa and West Asia region, during the signing of a memorandum of understanding. Credit: International IDEA

Sweden

International IDEA’s Secetary-General meeting with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström. Credit: International IDEA

European Commission

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora and Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. Credit: International IDEA

Introduction

For the past 28 years, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has honored its mandate to promote and advance democracy worldwide.

This Annual Review highlights our global contributions as a think-and do-tank dedicated to researching, delivering comparative knowledge resources and supporting in the implementation of democratic practices that help everyone build and maintain inclusive and resilient democracies.

Our Vision

A world in which everyone lives in inclusive and resilient democracies.

Our Mission

International IDEA advances, promotes and protects sustainable democracy worldwide in consideration of human rights commitments through policy-relevant knowledge, capacity development, advocacy and the convening of dialogues.  

To achieve its mission, and in pursuit of its vision, International IDEA has defined six workstreams to align with the challenges and opportunities of the democracy landscape and the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Electoral Processes, Constitution-Building Processes, Political Participation and Representation, Democracy Assessment, Climate Change and Democracy, and Digitalization and Democracy. The Institute mainstreams (a) gender and inclusion; (b) conflict sensitivity; and (c) environmental protection across all its work. 

Institutional Strategy

Learn about our strategic direction in our current democracy landscape.

Supporting democracy worldwide

How we work

International IDEA’s working modalities constitute a reinforcing loop of knowledge production, capacity development, advocacy and the convening of dialogues. International IDEA’s comparative knowledge and research inform its capacity development; these have policy influence and inform advocacy, and enable the convening of dialogues. In turn, capacity development in the field provides valuable lessons for knowledge production, policy influence and advocacy, enabling continuous learning within the Institute.

International IDEA at a Glance
Four ways for working

Supporting democracy worldwide

Activity & Reach
Member States
International IDEA's offices
Active projects and programs
Support activities
Reach

Our Impact

Governance
Global Programmes
North America and the Office of the Permanent Observer to the UN
Africa and West Asia
Asia and the Pacific
Europe
Latin America and the Caribbean
France became International IDEA’s 35th Member State

France becomes International IDEA’s 35th Member State

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2023 Seminar in Ghana on Impact of Disinformation on Electoral Integrity, Peace and Security in Africa

Member States support International IDEA in new and diverse ways

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Seema Shah, Head of the Democracy Assessment team at International IDEA, introduces the findings of the annual Global State of Democracy Report at the global launch event in Stockholm on 2 November 2023. Credit Malin Huusmann

Monitoring and analysing the global state of democracy

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The participants of the Fiji Working Group on Protecting Electoral Processes in the Information Environment in 2023. Credit: International IDEA

Protecting electoral processes and holding elections during times of crises

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From left to right: Dr Paul Chambers, Naresuan University; Professor Punchada Sirivunnabood, lead national consultant; Dr Laddawan Tantivitayapitak, Open Forum for Democracy Foundation; and Khushbu Agrawal, International IDEA, discuss the findings from the Report Political Finance Assessment of Thailand at the Report’s launch event. Credit: International IDEA/ Leena Rikkilä Tamang

Sharing political finance assessments for evidence-based reform

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Democracy Tracker homepage (2024)

Spotlight on the Democracy Tracker

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Summit for Democracy Cohort on Gender Equality

Enhancing gender equality as a prerequisite for democracy: 2023 Summit for Democracy and beyond

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Participants of the fifth forum of the Women Constitution-Makers’ Dialogue held in The Hague in 2023. Credit: International IDEA

From discussion to action: The impact of Women Constitution-Makers’ Dialogues

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A group workshop held on the first day of the Global Democracy Coalition Forum in Brussels, Belgium on 28 February 2023. Credit_ Bruno Maes

Building a multi-stakeholder coalition to protect and promote democracy

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Amanda Sourek, International IDEA’s Outreach and UN Liaison Officer, delivers a statement on behalf of International IDEA at the 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly on 23 February 2023, at UN Headquarters, New York. Credit: Sunil Pal, International Development Law Organization

Serving as a catalyst for democracy and SDG 16 at the United Nations

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Dr Auwal Ahmed Musa, Centre Manager at the Nana Khadija Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Sokoto speaking at the Network Conference of Sexual Assault Referral Centres in Abuja in November 2023. Credit: International IDEA

Rule of Law and Anti- Corruption Programme in Nigeria

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Young people promoting unity and peaceful dialogue during a peace parade in Freetown ahead of the June 2023 elections. Credit: International IDEA/Alfred Fornah

Nurturing democracy defenders in Sierra Leone and crafting a manifesto for journalists

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A woman in Mozambique voting in the 2023 municipal elections. Credit: International IDEA

International IDEA supports electoral transparency demands in Mozambique’s 2023 municipal elections

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Credit: Werner Bayer, 1996-Yemen Sanna.

From Yemen to Tunisia: Fostering dialogue and democracy awareness across the Arab region

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Cover of The Report Climate Change and Democracy: Insights from Asia and the Pacific.

The climate change and democracy nexus in Asia and the Pacific

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Indigenous Peoples Champions’ National Forum, 23 October 2023, Manila, Philippines.

Protecting Indigenous rights in the Philippines

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Sirjana Kafle (left), the Executive Director of Purple Foundation, speaks at an (orientation) event in Nepal on 28 September 2023 to kick off the project implementation, as Monika Paudel, a civil society organization mentor for her organization, looks on. Credit: International IDEA

Helping CSOs advance electoral reform in Nepal

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Parliament in Ukraine. Credit: Shutterstock, photo contributor: Paparazzza

Assisting Ukraine in preparing for post-war out-of-country voting

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View of the Albanian flag and the Gjirokaster Fortress. Credit: Oscar M via Pexels.

Albania gears up for increased political finance oversight through digitalization

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Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, International IDEA Secretary-General, and Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography, hold up copies of the The EU’s External Democracy Action in a New Geopolitical Reality Report. Credit: International IDEA/Bruno Maes

Sparking an EU debate on a new democracy narrative

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Schoolchildren in Peru present solutions to community issues in November 2023. The initiative was part of an effort to improve democratic citizenship. Credit: International IDEA/Francesca Florián

Promoting creative solutions from young citizens in Peru

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Nelcy Hermosa, a student at the Political School for Women Leaders in Paraguay (Caacupé location), celebrates the moment immediately after her presentation of a government plan, essential to graduating from the School. Credit: International IDEA/Gabriela Fariña.

Preparing women leaders for political participation in Paraguay

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LAC-Costa Rica - Photo from Unsplash, Andrea Chacón. International Women's in Costa Rica

Young people in Costa Rica promote interparty ethics pact

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International IDEA in numbers

77431 
Publication downloads on the International IDEA website
22303743 
Visits to the International IDEA website
12346 
Total new followers on social media
1399149 
Total new views and reach on social media

Top media mentions by country

1. United States

2,416 (34%)

2. Mexico

896 (13%)

3. Argentina

644 (9.1%)

4. Spain

637 (9%)

5. Peru

276 (4%)

6. Nigeria

238 (3.3%)

7. Dominican Republic

173 (2.4%)

8. Canada

129 (1.8%)

9. South Korea

90 (1.4%)

10. Belgium

88 (1.3%)

11. United Kingdom

85 (1.2%)

12. Paraguay

79 (1.1%)

media mentions
media mentions
media mentions
media mentions
media mentions

Financials

Total funding 2023, EUR 53,535,169
Total funding 2023, EUR 53,535,169 2023
Core funding
Restricted (project) funding
Total funding by programme 2023, EUR 52,040,326
Total funding by programme 2023, EUR 52,040,326 2023
Global Programme
Africa & West Asia
Asia & the Pacific
Regional Europe
Latin America & the Caribbean
North America

Funding by theme

Member States and Donors’ contributions to the work of International IDEA are instrumental to advance our shared vision of achieving a more resilient and inclusive democracy for all. We are pleased to recognize our donors who have partnered with us for the delivery of key outcomes for democracy in 2023.

Electoral Processes
(€8,914,935.00)
Core: €618,817.00 Restricted: €8,296,118.00
Constitution-Building Processes
(€4,187,710.00)
Core: €1,033,616.00 Restricted: €3,154,094.00
Political Participation and Representation
(€10,614,120.00)
Core: €487,353.00 Restricted: €10,126,767.00
Democracy Assessment
(€2,939,497.00)
Core: €1,098,976.00 Restricted: €1,840,521.00
Core
Restricted

Donors

Top 10 core funders

Top 10 restricted funders

Partners

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