Stockholm, June 9 (IANS) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Gyanesh Kumar, who is currently on a visit to Sweden, will deliver the inaugural keynote address at the International IDEA Stockholm Conference on Electoral Integrity, which begins on June 10.

Organised from June 10-12, the conference brings together heads of Election Management Bodies (EMBs), policymakers, and institutional leaders to deliberate on pressing challenges to electoral integrity, including disinformation, digital disruption, election security, climate-related risks, and the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in elections.

Ahead of the conference, CEC Gyanesh Kumar held a warm interaction with the Indian diaspora in Sweden. He reiterated the Election Commission of India’s commitment to inclusive electoral participation and civic engagement among Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).

He also highlighted key initiatives such as the Online Voter Registration System and the Electronic Transmission of Postal Ballot Management System (ETPBMS), aimed at facilitating greater participation of overseas voters.

CEC Kumar’s keynote address will underline India’s global leadership in election management, particularly the scale and complexity of its electoral processes — widely seen as a model among democracies.

His address is expected to draw attention from EMBs worldwide, as over 100 participants representing around 50 countries are attending the conference.

The event is being jointly hosted by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Election Authority, and the Australian Electoral Commission.

CEC Kumar will also hold high-level meetings with key international counterparts, beginning with Secretary-General of International IDEA, Kevin Casas-Zamora, followed by one-on-one bilateral meetings with Chief Election Commissioners and heads of electoral bodies from over 20 countries, including the UK, Netherlands, France, South Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, and Switzerland.

In addition, he is scheduled to interact with several senior electoral officials, including Leena Rikkila Tamang, Director (Asia-Pacific), International IDEA; Dr Elsie T. Nghikembua, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia; and Abdool Rahman Mohammad Irfan, Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius.

India, as the world’s largest democracy, has long maintained a productive partnership with International IDEA, sharing institutional innovations and best practices. Through capacity-building programmes and global forums, the India International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) is emerging as a centre of excellence in electoral training and cooperation.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar is leading a high-level delegation that includes Rakesh Verma, Director General, IIIDEM; Vijay Kumar Pandey, Deputy Director General (Law); and Rahul Sharma, Principal Secretary, ECI.

–IANS

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