How International Observation Builds Trust in Elections: Conference Marking Anniversary of IPA CIS IIMDD
15 January 2026
On 19–20 February 2026, the International Research to Practice Conference “Building Trust in the Institution of Elections and Referendums: the Role of International Observation” will be held in Saint‑Petersburg.
The conference is organised by the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS and the CIS Advisory Board of the Heads of the Electoral Bodies.
The event marks the 20th anniversary of the International Institute for Monitoring the Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of the IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD).
Participants will include parliamentarians from CIS countries, representatives of international organisations, officials from electoral administration bodies, members of public organisations, academia and experts.
Key discussion topics will cover the role of international monitoring missions and foreign observers in strengthening trust in electoral processes and the significance of documents regulating international observation of elections and referendums.
Side events will feature an exhibition of modern electoral technologies, scientific and methodological developments in election observation. The impact of such technologies on the development of electoral culture will be discussed by the participants of the international youth discussion club “Tavricheskiy”.
The business programme will also include a plenary session and roundtables on Artificial Intelligence and its Application in the Electoral Process: an Integrated Approach and Legislative Regulation, on International Observation of Elections and Referendums and the Protection of Electoral Sovereignty: Cooperation between CIS, African, and Latin American States and on Elections and Referendums: Searching for the Optimal Observation Model.
