New Delhi, January 23, 2026 – Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from 42 nations have committed to collaborate on key electoral issues by adopting the 'Delhi Declaration'. This landmark declaration was made on Friday, January 23, 2026, during the concluding day of the three-day International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026.

The Delhi Declaration 2026 outlines five key pillars for cooperation among the EMBs: purity of electoral rolls, conduct of elections, research and publications, use of technology, and training and capacity building. The declaration was read out by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The closing session was attended by heads of the 42 EMBs, experts from over 70 national institutions, senior officers of the Election Commission, and 36 Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States/UTs.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar emphasized that "pure electoral rolls containing names of all eligible electors as per the law are the foundation of any democracy". He further added that election management bodies should strive to provide photo identity cards to all electors for easy and transparent conduct of elections. The declaration also highlights the need for the involvement of all stakeholders at all levels in elections. India has offered to share its experience in the field of elections across all sectors through training and the exchange of transparent practices.

The participating EMBs resolved to review their progress periodically and proposed to meet again from December 3-5, 2026, at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi. They will also collaborate on the preparation of a co-curated Encyclopedia of World Democracies, with International IDEA leading seven themes and IIIDEM leading 36 themes. Furthermore, they agreed to co-develop digital platforms such as ECI-Net and promote training and exchange of transparent electoral practices through IIIDEM.

Mohamed Zahid, President of the Election Commission of the Maldives, stated that India and the Maldives held detailed discussions on key aspects of election management. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has offered to collaborate with international poll management bodies to help them develop technology platforms similar to ECINET and provide training support for their officials in election management.

The three-day conference saw the participation of over 100 foreign delegates from various countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Maldives, Botswana, Fiji, and the Czech Republic. CEC Gyanesh Kumar stated that the conference had laid the foundation for closer global collaboration in election management and ignited meaningful conversations on model international electoral standards. He also noted that the over 40 bilateral meetings held during the conference expanded mutual cooperation and strengthened the understanding of shared priorities and perspectives. The Delhi Declaration 2026 is viewed as a significant step towards strengthening democratic institutions and improving election management practices worldwide.