ECI to host conference of Election Management bodies on January 23, 24

According to an official release, the conference is scheduled following an extraordinarily eventful year, when more than 70 countries with nearly half the world population went to polls. The conference aims to reflect on key areas of contemporary election management and a prospective view of elections while drawing key learnings.

At the Conference, countries from across the world, especially aspiring Election Management Bodies are expected to get a full account of India's Lok Sabha General Election 2024, the largest election in the world by far, which also is a veritable learning space for all election managers, the release said.

ECI's International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in association with the India Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) Centre have designed the Conference that will be inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Rajiv Kumar, and will feature sessions chaired by Election Commissioners from a range of countries and international dignitaries.

Nearly 30 representatives from the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of 13 countries including Bhutan, Georgia, Namibia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Ireland, Mauritius, Philippines, Russian Federation, Tunisia, and Nepal will participate in the conference.

Heads/Deputy Heads of EMBs from Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Mauritius, Namibia, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Tunisia & Uzbekistan and representatives from international organizations like International IDEA, President & CEO of International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and Secretary General A-WEB will also join. Many Ambassadors/High Commissioners based in Delhi will also participate in the conference.

As per the release, the conference will commence with a keynote address from CEC Rajiv Kumar and have sessions covering various aspects of election management.

The first session on "Election Year 2024 - Major Learnings" will be co-chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia. The session will feature presentations from election authorities of India, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan

The second session, titled "Role of Technology in Election Management - Opportunities and Challenges," will be chaired by India's Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and will include presentations from representatives of election authorities of Bhutan and Russia.

The third session, "Social Media Platforms and Election Management - Consultation and the Way Forward," will be chaired by Election Commissioner Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The session will have presentations from representatives of election management bodies of Nepal and Namibia, along with the President and CEO of IFES.

The fourth session on "Electoral Equity: Inclusive & Accessible Elections" will be co-chaired by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan and the Secretary General of A-WEB and will include presentations from EMBs of Tunisia, the Philippines, and Georgia.

The fifth session, "Importance of Capacity Building, Training, and International Cooperation for Strengthening Democratic Spaces," will be co-chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal and the President & CEO of IFES and will include presentations from representatives of A-WEB, Election Commission of Ireland and International IDEA.

On Day 2, the sixth session on "The Future of Elections" will be chaired by Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar. The session will feature presentations from election authorities of Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Namibia, and Nepal, along with representatives from A-WEB and IFES.

The concluding session will include observations from Abdool Rahman Mohammad Irfan, Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius and Anthony Nathan Banbury, CEO of IFES. This will be followed by discussions and finalisation of the recommendations outlining the commitment and actionable steps for Election Management Bodies worldwide, for better synergy and strengthening of elections and electoral democracies. (ANI)