Asia-Pacific
Over the last three decades, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has engaged in programming and research across Asia-Pacific, partnering global expertise with local solutions through combining efforts with a variety of partner organizations. Our efforts in Asia-Pacific also showcase IFES’ excellence in inclusion and participation, with elements of youth, gender, persons with disabilities and underrepresented populations in portions of our work in countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Nepal, and Cambodia.
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Regional Director, Asia-Pacific
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3 Dec 2021 | News and Updates
IFES and partner USPSA launched an interactive virtual webinar series, “Youth Advocacy for Inclusive COVID-19 Response and Recovery,” to empower young advocates throughout the Pacific Islands.
17 Nov 2021 | Election FAQ
Bougainvilleans will go to the polls starting on Monday, Nov. 22, to vote in the 2021 Community Government elections.
21 Oct 2021 | News and Updates
IFES and CEELI launched the worldwide ECAC and IMPACTS projects.
4 Oct 2021 | News and Updates
This partnership enables us to support the establishment and consolidation of inclusive and accountable democracies to advance freedom, dignity and development over the next five years.
15 Sep 2021 | News and Updates
To mark International Day of Democracy, IFES celebrates resilience and the determination of people around the world to have a voice in how they are governed.
11 Aug 2021 | News and Updates
IFES held Nepal's first-ever multistakeholder dialogues on LGBTQI+ inclusion in elections in partnership with the Blue Diamond Society.
29 Jul 2021 | News and Updates
IFES is proud to celebrate this year with a monthlong social media campaign and a Facebook Live event on August 10 about the rights of Indigenous youth.
3 Jun 2021 | News and Updates
IFES works closely with disabled persons organizations in Sri Lanka to build a country where all persons with disabilities can exercise their rights to participate in public life.
18 May 2021 | Publication
How can democracy and governance programs be more effective in post-conflict environments?
30 Apr 2021 | News and Updates
To empower elected women with the skills and knowledge to fulfill their roles as community leaders, IFES and the Center for Dalit Women Nepal launched “She Leads” trainings in February 2021.
23 Apr 2021 | News and Updates
In collaboration with the Special Talent Exchange Program and Nepal Disabled Women Association, IFES held a South Asia regional conference that brought together nearly 100 women with disabilities who...
6 Apr 2021 | Publication
IFES has identified several urgent recommendations to mitigate online violence against women public figures in Bangladesh.
1 Apr 2021 | Publication
How can key stakeholders plan for climate-related risks to democracy? How can environmentally displaced persons participate safely and equally in political life?
1 Apr 2021 | Election FAQ
On Saturday April 10, Maldivian voters will go to the polls for Local Council elections. For the first time, Women’s Development Committee representatives, who are responsible for upholding women’s...
19 Mar 2021 | News and Updates
Racial discrimination is a plague to societies worldwide. It continues to hinder democratic progress and cause suffering that affects individuals, communities and institutions. The intentional and...
16 Mar 2021 | News and Updates
IFES has identified challenges common across election management bodies and considers how these have been compounded by COVID-19.
10 Mar 2021 | Multimedia
IFES held a Voter Education Film Festival to share best practices, gather examples from around the world and create a video repository for IFES teams to use and refer back to.
8 Mar 2021 | News and Updates
IFES and its local partners are training 500 Pakistani women to actively promote women’s National Identity Card registration.
8 Mar 2021 | News and Updates
IFES and Pak Women are implementing a “She Leads Pakistan” leadership program that engages men to partner with women community leaders to advance a more inclusive democratic process.
5 Mar 2021 | News and Updates
IFES and the Pacific Disability Forum stand in solidarity with women with disabilities working to ensure equal access to rights in the COVID-19 response and recovery.
9 Feb 2021 | News and Updates
IFES' local partners are working to ensure that the rights of women with disabilities and young people are included in Nepal's COVID-19 response and to spread awareness of health and safety measures.
26 Jan 2021 | News and Updates
Within the evolving public health crisis and the economic uncertainty that it has wrought, we will witness several consequential elections around the globe in the months ahead.
22 Jan 2021 | News and Updates
Education – in particular, civic education – is a linchpin in building an engaged citizenry and inclusive, resilient and sustainable democracies.
12 Jan 2021 | Publication
Through our Strengthening Engagement Through Education for Democracy (SEED) methodology, IFES equips youth with the knowledge and skills essential for democratic engagement in the digital age.
11 Jan 2021 | News and Updates
Bangladesh’s Students Against Violence Everywhere hosted an online forum to promote inclusivity and religious, ethnic and cultural tolerance.
23 Dec 2020 | News and Updates
On December 9, Indonesia held its fourth concurrent regional head elections for 270 positions.
7 Dec 2020 | Publication
Parliamentary Oversight of Constitutional Bodies in the Maldives explores how parliamentary tools and mechanisms can be effectively tailored to provide the appropriate level of oversight. The...
3 Dec 2020 | News and Updates
This year's theme is "Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World."
25 Nov 2020 | Election FAQ
On Wednesday, December 9, Indonesians will vote for governors, mayors and regents, who are collectively known as regional heads.
16 Nov 2020 | News and Updates
In partnership with the Fijian Elections Office, IFES co-hosted a webinar on inclusion in the Pacific region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
13 Nov 2020 | News and Updates
Ahead of Sri Lanka’s recent elections and with IFES' support, Consumer Action Network Mental Health Lanka launched a voter education and advocacy campaign for persons with psychosocial disabilities.
28 Oct 2020 | Publication
COVID-19 has suddenly increased demand for voting by mail. A new IFES paper compares practices around the world and provides recommendations.
14 Sep 2020 | News and Updates
An estimated 5 million young people will be eligible to vote for the first time in Myanmar’s 2020 elections. On August 15, IFES brought together young leaders from across Myanmar to participate in...
25 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
In celebration of International Youth Day 2020, IFES hosted a Facebook Live event on "Young Leaders Building Sustainable Democracies." The event featured young leaders from Nepal, Nigeria and Ukraine.
12 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
Continuing their response efforts to COVID-19 in Bangladesh, IFES and Dhaka University’s Microgovernance Research Initiative organized 11 webinars for the Students Against Violence...
30 Jul 2020 | Election FAQ
Bougainvilleans will go to the polls starting on Wednesday, August 12, to vote for the 39 members of the House of Representatives and a president. These will be the first elections held since the...
20 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
In partnership with the Fijian Elections Office, IFES is working to inform election management bodies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the Pacific region on best practices for...
15 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
The “Power to Persuade” training builds the skills of women with disabilities to advocate with policymakers, elected officials and other political powerbrokers for reform. In response to COVID-19,...
23 Jun 2020 | News and Updates
In partnership with the Fijian Elections Office, IFES is co-hosting a webinar series to inform local election management bodies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the Pacific...
23 Jun 2020 | News and Updates
This month, we are celebrating #CEPPSGlobalPride! IFES interviewed U Kaung Zaw Htet, program director at Civil Authorize Negotiate Organization, about their work to support LGBTI equality in Myanmar.
2 Jun 2020 | News and Updates
Nayem Molla is a youth promise fellow and master trainer in the Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) program. Read our Q&A with Nayem, who is taking a lead role in countering the spread of...
27 May 2020 | News and Updates
In Bangladesh, there are growing concerns that misinformation, disinformation and hate speech are fueling violence and spreading inaccurate and dangerous information about COVID-19. In response, IFES...
27 May 2020 | Publication
Though we do not yet know the full extent of COVID-19’s impact, women and most marginalized communities will likely experience disproportionate hardship. This means all preparedness and response...
22 May 2020 | News and Updates
Election managers and authorities should be mindful of the challenges young people face when participating in political life as a result of COVID-19 and should work to bolster their participation.
29 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
IFES President and CEO Anthony Branbury joined the Boston Consulting Group for an online Public Sector Leadership Roundtable on April 17, 2020. Their conversation focused on...
28 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Disasters often inflame and exacerbate existing inequalities, and women continue to be largely left out of decision-making processes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electoral stakeholders should work...
17 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Persons with disabilities face additional risks of contracting COVID-19, of having inadequate access to health care and of lacking a voice in decision-making. IFES is supporting disabled people’s...
15 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Many countries use indelible ink to ensure that voters cannot cast multiple ballots. Hand-sanitizing procedures, recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, could also affect the ink’s...
14 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, many countries are grappling with how to modify election procedures to minimize the risk of transmission or change the system for voting completely to avoid the...
8 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
In an op-ed for Devex, IFES' Anthony Banbury shares lessons learned from the Ebola crisis as guidance for holding elections and averting a democracy crisis during COVID-19.
1 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Last month, IFES and Future Stars, a self-advocacy organization, trained four new trainers with intellectual disabilities on how to build self-confidence to effectively and meaningfully participate...