CEC Gyanesh Kumar opens 5-day electoral resilience workshop for 12 nations
Synopsis
India is hosting election officials from 12 countries for a five-day deep-dive into electoral risk management — a signal that the Election Commission of India is actively exporting its institutional expertise. With hands-on ERMTool training and field visits on the agenda, this is less a conference and more a structured capacity-transfer programme under India's Chairship Programme 2026.
Key Takeaways
CEC Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated the workshop on 25 May at IIIDEM, New Delhi , running through 29 May .
Delegates from 12 countries — comprising Election Commissioners and senior EMB officials — are participating.
The event is co-organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and International IDEA under India's Chairship Programme 2026 .
Training includes hands-on sessions on the Electoral Risk Management Tool (ERMTool) , Risk and Action Registers, and analytical instruments.
Field exposure visits and institutional interactions are also part of the agenda to demonstrate ground-level electoral planning.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, 25 May inaugurated a five-day international workshop on 'Risk Management and Electoral Resilience' at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi, bringing together Election Commissioners and senior electoral officials from 12 countries. The programme, running from 25 to 29 May, marks a significant step in India's growing role as a global resource centre for democratic governance.
Key Developments
The workshop has been jointly organised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and International IDEA under India's Chairship Programme 2026. Alongside CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi addressed participants during the inaugural session, signalling the full commission's commitment to the initiative.
Delegates include Election Commissioners, senior officials of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), risk management and technology professionals, and officials engaged in crisis management and electoral integrity work across the participating nations.
What the Workshop Covers
The five-day curriculum spans a broad range of thematic areas: foundations of electoral risk management, electoral integrity and safeguards, risk identification and assessment, resilience and crisis management, inter-agency coordination, and strategic planning. Participants are also being trained on the Electoral Risk Management Tool (ERMTool), with hands-on sessions covering customisation of risk factor libraries, Risk and Action Registers (RAR), analytical instruments, and resource portals.
The programme additionally includes field exposure visits and institutional interactions designed to give delegates ground-level insight into electoral planning, coordination mechanisms, and practical risk mitigation approaches.
Why It Matters
The core objective is to equip Electoral Management Bodies with structured frameworks to proactively identify, assess, and manage electoral risks — safeguarding integrity, continuity, legitimacy, and public trust. This comes amid a globally complex risk environment where elections increasingly face threats ranging from disinformation and cyber interference to logistical disruptions and political violence.
Notably, India's hosting of such a multilateral capacity-building programme underscores the ECI's expanding international footprint. The Commission has in recent years positioned itself as a model institution for developing democracies, and the IIIDEM has become a key vehicle for that outreach.
What Happens Next
The workshop concludes on 29 May, after which participating nations are expected to carry back structured risk management frameworks for adoption within their own electoral systems. The collaboration with International IDEA also signals potential for follow-on technical assistance and peer-learning networks among the participating EMBs.
Point of View
However, will be tested by the very scrutiny it invites: delegations that return home and benchmark India's own electoral conduct against the frameworks they were taught here. The ERMTool and structured risk registers are genuinely useful exports, but their value depends on whether recipient EMBs have the institutional independence to use them without political interference — a variable the workshop cannot control.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Risk Management and Electoral Resilience' workshop organised by the ECI?
It is a five-day international capacity-building programme organised by the Election Commission of India and International IDEA, held at IIIDEM in New Delhi from 25 to 29 May 2026. The workshop trains Election Commissioners and senior electoral officials from 12 countries on structured risk management frameworks for electoral processes.
Who inaugurated the workshop and who else addressed the participants?
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated the workshop on 25 May. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi also addressed participants during the inaugural session.
Which countries are participating in the ECI workshop?
The source indicates delegates from 12 nations are participating, comprising Election Commissioners, senior EMB officials, risk management and technology professionals, and crisis management specialists. The specific country names were not disclosed in official statements.
What is the Electoral Risk Management Tool (ERMTool) being demonstrated at the workshop?
The ERMTool is a structured digital instrument for identifying and managing electoral risks. Workshop sessions cover its customisation features, including risk factor libraries, Risk and Action Registers (RAR), analytical tools, and resource portals, enabling EMBs to build their own risk management systems.
Why is India hosting this international electoral workshop?
The workshop is part of India's Chairship Programme 2026, a multilateral engagement initiative. It reflects the ECI's broader strategy of positioning India as a global reference point for electoral management, with IIIDEM serving as the institutional hub for such international outreach.
