Participation of representative of the State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia in the International Conference on Democracy and Electoral Management, New Delhi, India, 21–23 January 2026
Damir Kontrec, Vice-President currently acting as the President of the State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia, and Albina Rosandić, Secretary of the Commission, attended an international conference on democracy and electoral management held in New Delhi, India, from 21 to 23 January 2026.The conference was organised by the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) and the Election Commission of India.
The conference brought together representatives of more than 40 central electoral management bodies from around the world, as well as representatives of more than 30 countries represented by diplomatic missions in India. Approximately 500 national and international delegates attended the event, including heads and other representatives of electoral management bodies, electoral experts, and members of the academic community from renowned Indian universities specialising in law, technology, management, communication and other fields.
The heads of electoral management bodies, including Damir Kontrec, Vice-President currently acting as the President of the Commission, were received by Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner of India, during a session dedicated to senior electoral management officials. On this occasion, the Croatian representative outlined the mandate and work of the Commission and the challenges that electoral management bodies around the world will face in the coming years. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to integrate new technologies, including artificial intelligence, into electoral processes, as well as on the risks posed by disinformation and cyber threats. The importance of strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing inter-institutional communication and cooperation, and improving transparency was also highlighted, together with the need to foster public trust in the electoral process.
Over the three days of the conference, panel discussions addressed a range of topics. During two panels, Albina Rosandić, Secretary of the Commission, presented the Commission’s responsibilities in overseeing the financing of election campaigns and introduced its youth voter engagement project, entitled “My Vote Matters Too!”.
The conference brought together representatives of more than 40 central electoral management bodies from around the world, as well as representatives of more than 30 countries represented by diplomatic missions in India. Approximately 500 national and international delegates attended the event, including heads and other representatives of electoral management bodies, electoral experts, and members of the academic community from renowned Indian universities specialising in law, technology, management, communication and other fields.
The heads of electoral management bodies, including Damir Kontrec, Vice-President currently acting as the President of the Commission, were received by Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner of India, during a session dedicated to senior electoral management officials. On this occasion, the Croatian representative outlined the mandate and work of the Commission and the challenges that electoral management bodies around the world will face in the coming years. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to integrate new technologies, including artificial intelligence, into electoral processes, as well as on the risks posed by disinformation and cyber threats. The importance of strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing inter-institutional communication and cooperation, and improving transparency was also highlighted, together with the need to foster public trust in the electoral process.
Over the three days of the conference, panel discussions addressed a range of topics. During two panels, Albina Rosandić, Secretary of the Commission, presented the Commission’s responsibilities in overseeing the financing of election campaigns and introduced its youth voter engagement project, entitled “My Vote Matters Too!”.