"A lot of discussions held on how poll bodies must conduct fair elections," says CEC Rajiv Kumar on global election conference in Delhi

"The participants were present in this international conference. A lot of discussions took place in these two days - opportunities, challenges, how election management bodies should conduct fair and inducement-free elections across the world, how they can learn from each other and ensure that the rights of voters remain protected," the Chief Election Commissioner said.

"A lot of discussion was held on technology - there are opportunities as well as challenges regarding social media, AI and cyber security. All of these were discussed. So, a Delhi declaration was signed...All election management bodies here decided to constitute a working group so that they can discuss challenges on a live basis, both offline and online..." he highlighted further.

Notably, the national capital has been hosting representatives and heads of the Election Management Bodies (EMB) of countries of the world in an international conference held from January 23 to 24.

The international conference titled "Global Election Year 2024: Reiteration of Democratic Spaces and Key Takeaways for EMBs" was convened by the Election Commission of India.

The conference deliberated on various aspects of election management and took note of the disruptive trends and challenges of fake narratives to malign the electoral process, as per a release.

The conference took stock of the experience in the conduct of elections worldwide in recent years, and more particularly on the substantial elections in 2024, as per a statement from the release.

Members present in the conference took to resolve and declare several points. These included remaining committed to transparent and inclusive polls, safeguarding the integrity and purity of the electors' list, undiluted focus on the centrality of voters and taking proactive interventions in voter education. (ANI)