International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

based in Stockholm. Its task is to promote democracy worldwide.

Aims

* Assist countries build capacity to develop democratic institutions.
* Provide a forum between policy-makers, academics and practitioners.
* Synthesize research and field experience, and develop practical tools to improve democratic processes.
* Promote accountability, transparency and efficiency in election management.
* Facilitate local democracy assessment, monitoring and promotion by local citizens.

Current areas of activity

* Democracy building and conflict management – developing the process for building consensus, setting priorities, designing political institutions and constitutions, organizing dialogue and decision making, promoting reconciliation and inclusive democracy.
* Strengthening electoral processes – adapting electoral systems, improving access and turnout, ensuring professional management and independence, building public confidence.
* Developing political parties as actors in democracy – reviewing external regulation and enforcement, public funding, internal management and democracy, relations with civil society and the public.
* Political equality and participation, especially of underrepresented groups, including women in politics – identifying ways to build commitment and experience with special measures such as quotas.

IDEA offers database access on topics as voter turnout, electoral system design, quotas for women and political finance laws and regulations.

IDEA has been granted UN observer status.

Members

International IDEA's founding member states were Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden.

Today, it has 24 members, including also Botswana, Canada, Cape Verde, Germany, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, Switzerland and Uruguay.

Internal structure

International IDEA's headquarters are located in Stockholm. Approximately two thirds of its roughly one hundred staff members work there. The rest is based at seven field offices: in Accra, Kathmandu, La Paz, Lima, Pretoria, San José (Costa Rica) and Yerevan. International IDEA also has a permanent representative to the United Nations based in New York City.

The current Secretary-General is the Norwegian Vidar Helgesen (since 2006).

External links

* [http://www.idea.int Homepage]
* [http://www.idea.int/vt Voter Turnout Database]
* [http://www.idea.int/esd Electoral System Design Database]
* [http://www.quotaproject.org quotaproject.org - Quotas for Women Database]
* [http://www.idea.int/matrix Political Finance Laws and Regulations Database]
* [http://www.aceproject.org ACE Project]