What are the five key pillars of the Delhi Declaration?

The five foundational pillars are: Purity of Electoral Rolls: Ensuring accurate and clean voter lists. Conduct of Elections: Committing to free, fair, inclusive, and transparent elections. Research and Publications: Collaborative knowledge-sharing, including an 'Encyclopaedia of Democracies'. Use of Technology: Responsibly leveraging technology to assist voters and counter threats like misinformation. Training and Capacity Building: Enhancing the professionalism of election officials globally.

Description

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Picture Courtesy: thehawk

Context

The International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026.

What is International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM)?

The Inaugural IICDEM was held in New Delhi from January 21-23, 2026, to promote global cooperation on democracy and election administration.

Host and Organizer: Hosted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and organized by the IIIDEM, ECI's training and research arm.

Participants: Heads and representatives from 42 Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from over 70 countries, as well as academic experts and other stakeholders.

Objective: Provide a global platform for EMBs to share best practices, innovations, and address common challenges in electoral processes worldwide.

Theme: "Democracy for an Inclusive, Peaceful, Resilient & Sustainable World".

Key Outcome: Conference concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026, a resolution outlining five pillars for cooperation among participating EMBs.

Five Pillars of the Delhi Declaration 2026

Pillar I: Purity of Electoral Rolls

Pure Electoral Rolls, containing names of all eligible electors as per law, are the foundation of any democracy.
The Election Management Bodies (EMBs) should provide Photo Identity Cards, to all electors, for easy and transparent conduct of elections.

Pillar II: Conduct of Elections

Elections have to be participative and inclusive & involve all stakeholders at all levels.
For transparent, efficient, free, and fair elections, EMBs must operate according to their constitutional or legal mandates.

Pillar III: Research and Publications

The Conference agreed to publish the Encyclopaedia of Democracies of the World, including an Atlas detailing global electoral systems, as approved by respective EMBs.
Elaborative Reports on the 7 Themes led by International IDEA.

Pillar IV: Use of Technology

EMBs will adopt the latest technologies to ensure election integrity, as mandated by law, to assist voters and actively combat misinformation.
India will offer its digital platform, ECINET, to co-develop a similar system for interested Election Management Bodies (EMBs), adapted to their laws and language.

Pillar V: Training and Capacity Building

India to share its extensive electoral experience, including training and transparent practices, with interested EMBs.
Given the interest from EMBs, IIIDEM—the world's largest election and democracy training institute—offers its facilities to all EMBs. With 15 years' experience training over 10,000 Indian staff and personnel from more than 100 countries.

Source: PIB

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. The 'Delhi Declaration 2026' outlines five foundational pillars to strengthen democratic processes. Which of the following is NOT one of those pillars?

(a) Purity of Electoral Rolls

(b) Regulation of Political Funding

(d) Training and Capacity Building

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

The 'Delhi Declaration 2026', adopted by over 40 election management bodies (EMBs) on January 23, 2026, outlines five foundational pillars to strengthen democratic processes.

The five pillars are:

Purity of Electoral Rolls
Conduct of Elections (or, Conduct of Free, Fair, and Transparent Elections)
Research and Publications
Use of Technology
Training and Capacity Building

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Delhi Declaration 2026 is a resolution unanimously adopted by 42 global Election Management Bodies (EMBs) at a conference hosted by the Election Commission of India. It represents a collective commitment to strengthen democratic and electoral processes worldwide by collaborating on shared principles and best practices.

The five foundational pillars are:

Purity of Electoral Rolls: Ensuring accurate and clean voter lists.
Conduct of Elections: Committing to free, fair, inclusive, and transparent elections.
Research and Publications: Collaborative knowledge-sharing, including an 'Encyclopaedia of Democracies'.
Use of Technology: Responsibly leveraging technology to assist voters and counter threats like misinformation.

Training and Capacity Building: Enhancing the professionalism of election officials globally.

ECINET is a unified digital platform launched by the Election Commission of India. It integrates over 40 different applications to provide services like voter registration, information dissemination, and grievance redressal, making it one of the largest electoral service platforms in the world.