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.
Current Field Offices
Current Activities
Related Experts See All IFES Experts
Regional Director, Asia-Pacific, and Senior Global Advisor for Conflict, Displacement and Minority Rights
Deputy Director, Asia-Pacific
Related Content
19 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Read IFES President and CEO Anthony Banbury's message about the impact of the novel coronavirus crisis and how IFES is responding.
18 Mar 2020 | Election FAQ
Vanuatu held elections on March 19. Voters’ concerns included the economy and the Pacific Islands Forum, which will be hosted by Vanuatu in August. To help you understand this important...
6 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Launched ahead of Myanmar's 2020 elections, the “Advanced She Leads” program will support 40 women leaders to effect positive change in their communities.
28 Feb 2020 | Publication
An IFES fact sheet summarizes the four different ways women’s reserved seats in Bangladesh are currently filled: one system at the national level, two at the subdistrict level and one at the local...
11 Feb 2020 | News and Updates
Last month, IFES and the Nepal Disabled Women Association trained women advocates with disabilities and journalists on rights-based reporting techniques for elections and democratic processes. Such...
27 Jan 2020 | Publication
IFES conducted a study of women’s political representation and political finance in Nepal’s House of Representatives elections in 2017. IFES hopes the resulting report sparks discussions on the...
24 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
The International Day of Education, commemorated on January 24th, celebrates education and its centrality to sustainable development. For more than 30 years, IFES has conducted civic education...
22 Jan 2020 | Election FAQ
On January 23, Nepal held elections to replace 19 National Assembly members whose terms will expire in March. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently...
19 Dec 2019 | Multimedia
On November 30, voters went to the polls for by-elections held in all seven states of Nepal for open local, state and federal elected offices. The by-elections filled vacancies created since the...
17 Dec 2019 | Multimedia
IFES partnered with the Pacific Disability Forum to train 15 women with a diverse range of disabilities in September 2019 as part of the “Power to Persuade” program. The training enhanced...
13 Dec 2019 | Multimedia
Voting in the Bougainville referendum concluded with the announcement of results on December 11. A majority of voters selected independence, at 97.7 percent of the vote. While the referendum is not...
12 Dec 2019 | News and Updates
Protestors and demonstrators around the world are demanding more responsive democratic institutions. Even in the midst of widespread backsliding, the ballot box and elections remain a mechanism to...
13 Nov 2019 | Election Material
Sample ballot paper and constituency map for Nepal's by-elections to be held on November 30, 2019.
13 Nov 2019 | Election FAQ
On November 30, citizens of Nepal will go to the polls to fill 52 local, state and federal seats that have become vacant since the 2017 general elections. To help you understand this important...
4 Oct 2019 | News and Updates
Democracy for a better future. | Together we build democracies that deliver for all.
13 Sep 2019 | News and Updates
Since 2007 when the United Nations General Assembly designated September 15th as the International Day of Democracy, organizations – governmental and nongovernmental – have joined with others to...
12 Sep 2019 | News and Updates
In August, IFES implemented its Engaging a New Generation for Accessible Governance and Elections (ENGAGE) political leadership curriculum with young persons with disabilities in the Autonomous...
9 Sep 2019 | News and Updates
On August 10, 280 young people gathered in Mandalay, Myanmar, to celebrate International Youth Day. In line with this year’s global theme of “Transforming Education,” the event kicked off IFES’...
27 Aug 2019 | News and Updates
The use of violence to resolve conflict in Bangladesh has unfortunately crept into student politics and university life. In July, IFES held a "People Against Violence Everywhere" (PAVE) master...
1 Aug 2019 | News and Updates
IFES honors young champions and showcases the pivotal role young people play in developing and sustaining democratic processes in their communities by celebrating International Youth Day 2019 with a...
18 Jul 2019 | News and Updates
IFES, in partnership with the Center for Dalit Women Nepal, is introducing its flagship women’s leadership program “She Leads” to Nepal. Over the next four years, through a modular training...
2 Jul 2019 | News and Updates
On June 11, "She Leads" alumna Chanthy Hoy spoke on a side panel at the United Nations Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She spoke of the...
1 Jul 2019 | Election FAQ
Citizens of Papua New Guinea had been scheduled to go to the polls for local-level government (LLG) elections from June 22 to July 6. The schedule for the LLG elections was halted by a Supreme...
17 May 2019 | News and Updates
IFES' annual Joe C. Baxter Award recognizes the contributions of election professionals whose skills and dedication to the field of election administration epitomize the mission of IFES and embody...
15 May 2019 | News and Updates
IFES' programming in Asia-Pacific seeks to reinforce the power of citizens and elected leaders to work across ethnic, gender and religious lines. Key programming examples include IFES’ “She Leads”...
10 May 2019 | News and Updates
IFES is pleased to announce that Alan Wall, a senior elections adviser and former IFES chief of party, is the recipient of the 2019 Joe C. Baxter Award, after being unanimously selected by IFES’...
3 May 2019 | News and Updates
As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day and this year’s theme of “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation,” we highlight the important work done by IFES to promote...
24 Apr 2019 | Publication
While women in Bougainville have greater access to politics and decision-making than their counterparts in other parts of Papua New Guinea (PNG), they still face significant challenges as they seek...
24 Apr 2019 | Publication
Elections in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are characterized by violence and tribal politics that contribute to a high prevalence of violence against women in elections (VAWE). A new report from IFES...
24 Apr 2019 | Multimedia
On April 17, 2019, Indonesia held the world’s largest single-day election, electing its next president and legislature. To showcase Election Day proceedings and enable members of the local and...
18 Apr 2019 | News and Updates
Over the past 18 months, IFES has been designing and pilot testing the IFES Executive Curriculum in Electoral Leadership (iEXCEL). iEXCEL develops skills to strengthen institutional independence...
17 Apr 2019 | News and Updates
On April 17, Indonesia held the largest single-day election in the world. For the first time since Indonesia’s transition to democracy, more than 192 million registered voters had an opportunity to...
17 Apr 2019 | Election Material
Voter education posters used in Indonesia's concurrent presidential and legislative elections held on April 17, 2019.
12 Apr 2019 | News and Updates
Throughout 2018, IFES advisors guided the Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner in developing and writing its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. The plan, launched in November, sets out a vision...
10 Apr 2019 | News and Updates
Growing conservatism, discrimination against minority populations and an increase in hate speech and disinformation are threatening Indonesia. While the 2019 presidential and legislative elections...
9 Apr 2019 | Election FAQ
On April 17, Indonesian citizens went to the polls to elect both the next president and vice president as well as national and subnational legislators in 34 provinces and 514 regencies and...
5 Apr 2019 | Election FAQ
On April 6, Maldivian citizens went to the polls to elect all 87 members of the People’s Majlis, the country’s Parliament. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides...
20 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
IFES has been working with the Election Commission and National Committee on Women to conduct dozens of facilitators’ trainings that equip local women leaders with the skills needed to lead voter and...
19 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
To better inform policy discussions, IFES facilitates comparative research and dialogue on challenges and innovation in elections and the rights of indigenous peoples. IFES also assists countries to...
14 Mar 2019 | Multimedia
IFES celebrated International Women’s Day 2019 with counterparts in Port Moresby and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. The Port Moresby-based Papua New Guinea Electoral...
12 Mar 2019 | Multimedia
In Nepal, IFES partnered with the civil society organization Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON) to implement the “Youth for Good Governance” project, which aims to build the capacity of...
8 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
In early March, IFES and its local partner VBNK concluded a series of "She Leads" workshops in Cambodia. "She Leads Cambodia" provides training to rural and marginalized women who aspire to...
6 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
IFES’ leadership in the field is comprised of a cadre of women professionals with firsthand experience administering elections in every region of the world. In this Q&A, IFES Deputy Country...
21 Feb 2019 | News and Updates
IFES' ongoing work in Sri Lanka, through which it partners with the Election Commission to strengthen transparency, electoral integrity and inclusion in the democratic process, demonstrates four...
19 Feb 2019 | News and Updates
On January 30, IFES and the General Election Network for Disability Access trained advocates from disabled people’s organizations and election-focused civil society organizations on the reporting...
11 Feb 2019 | News and Updates
On January 29, IFES and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Disability Forum signed a Memorandum of Understanding to continue coordinating efforts to increase access to political rights...
18 Jan 2019 | Election FAQ
On January 21 and February 6, registered voters in localities covered by the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the Philippines and areas that successfully petitioned for inclusion in the...
21 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
This has been a year of transition for IFES as we welcomed Tony Banbury as our new leader and bid farewell to former President and CEO Bill Sweeney. Throughout 2018, the IFES team continued...
13 Dec 2018 | Multimedia
On November 14, IFES conducted a training for the Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner and disability rights advocates in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
10 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
On November 1-4, 2018, the General Election Network for Disability Access organized a communications and advocacy training of disabled people’s organizations and civil society organizations from...
7 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
Pervasive corruption erodes the credibility and legitimacy of electoral processes and democratic institutions – which in turn undermines effective governance. In observance of International Anti-...