INTERNATIONAL IDEA - Key Persons

Amanda Sourek is the United Nations Liaison for International IDEA in New York. She is responsible for Member State outreach; engagement with UN processes, negotiations and resolutions; drafting and delivering of statements; and fostering partnerships with other actors on the ground, including UN agencies and other like-minded organizations. Sourek coordinates the SDG 16 Data Initiative, a consortium of 18 organizations seeking to track the progress of SDG 16 through non-official data. She also represents International IDEA in the Steering Committee of the SDG16+ Coalition. She leads the UN and Democracy Hub, a user-friendly and intuitive digital library that provides a one-stop-shop for knowledge resources, data, and analysis on democracy-related topics, including development, political participation, gender equality, human rights, peace and security, and other emerging issues in the context of the work of the United Nations. Prior to this role, Sourek was responsible for all operations and communications of the North America Programme. She also played a pivotal role in the launch of the Global Democracy Coalition in 2021. Before joining International IDEA in 2018, Amanda Sourek worked in the academic setting as a research assistant on Judaic Studies and Argentine Pensions. She also has over 10 years of experience as a teacher in Brazil and the USA. Expertise Member State Engagement, Partnerships, United Nations and Democracy, United Nations General Assembly and Economic and Social Council, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Education M.A. in International Affairs and Diplomacy, UNITAR and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (In progress); B.A. in International Studies, City University of New York; B.A. in Jewish Studies, City University of New York Languages English, Portuguese

Job Titles:

• Senior Finance and Administrative Officer
• Senior Finance and Administrative Officer / Senior Finance and Administrative Officer

Anna Koviazina is the Senior Finance and Administrative Officer in the North America Programme. Anna joined International IDEA in May 2023. Languages English, Ukrainian

Job Titles:

• Programme Manager
• Programme Manager for Western Balkans

Blerta Hoxha is the Programme Manager for Western Balkans within the Regional Europe Programme. Blerta has a longstanding experience and political acumen on the region, which she developed covering senior advising roles and working on democracy assistance projects. Prior to joining International IDEA in August 2021, she worked as Senior Political Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania, and as Political Analyst on Parliament at the EU Delegation to Albania. She has also implemented numerous projects on democratization and EU integration of the Western Balkans while serving as Programme Director of European Movement Albania, a member of European Movement International. Blerta was a 2012 fellow of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship of the German Marshall Fund. She takes a keen interest in issues of diversity and inclusion, particularly as concerns the affirmation of women's and LGBT+ rights. Blerta is on Twitter: @blerta_hoxha9 Expertise Western Balkans, Democratization, Elections, EU Enlargement Education MA in European Political and Administrative Studies, College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium; MPhil in International Relations and European Integration, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; BA in Political Science and International Relations, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy Languages Albanian, English, French, Italian

Job Titles:

• Head of North America and Permanent Observer of International IDEA to the United Nations
• Head of North America and Permanent Observer of International IDEA to the United Nations / Head of North America and Permanent Observer of International IDEA to the United Nations
• Member of the Advisory Board for Georgetown University 's Department of Government MA Programs

Dr Annika Silva-Leander is Head of North America at International IDEA where she oversees International IDEA's outreach in the region, including relations with US stakeholders, its engagement with the United Nations, and coordination of the Global Democracy Coalition. She is also International IDEA's Permanent Observer to the United Nations, representing International IDEA at the UN General Assembly as a leading voice and advocate on democracy. As an opinion-builder on democracy, she also contributes to the global democracy debate through her analysis and speaking engagements on the state of democracy globally, in the context of the UN and other global fora of relevance to the global democracy discussions. Between 2018 and 2021, Silva-Leander was the Head of the Democracy Assessment Unit in Stockholm, where she led International IDEA's Global State of Democracy report, as lead author, editor and Programme head. She also oversaw the production of the annually updated Global State of Democracy Indices and the implementation of the Covid-19 Global Monitor on Democracy and Human Rights. From 2015 to 2018, she worked as the Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General of International IDEA. Prior to joining International IDEA, Silva-Leander worked for 10 years as a Social Development Specialist at the World Bank, on civic engagement and poverty reduction in Asia, Latin America and Africa. During her nine years in Asia, she worked for the World Bank, UNICEF and UNDP. She started her career at the AVINA Foundation in Costa Rica, managing grants to civil society organizations in Latin America. Annika Silva-Leander is a member of the Advisory Board for Georgetown University's Department of Government MA Programs (American Government, Conflict Resolution, and Democracy & Governance). She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a Swedish-Chilean global citizen who grew up in France. Expertise Global democracy assessment and measurement; civic space; impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on democracy; governance and development; multilateralism and democracy. Education PhD in Social Policy (London School of Economics, UK); MPhil in Development Studies (University of Sussex, UK); MSc in Latin American Public Policy (University of Oxford, UK); BA in Political Science (University of Stockholm, Sweden) Languages English, French, Spanish, Swedish

Job Titles:

• Secretary - General

Kevin Casas-Zamora appointed to second, 5-year term as International IDEA's Secretary-General. Kevin Casas-Zamora is appointed as the new Secretary-General of International IDEA. Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora has been the Secretary-General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), a Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization with a mandate to advance democracy, since August 2019. He is also Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy research centre in Washington, D.C. Casas-Zamora has over 30 years of experience working on democratic governance issues as a public official, academic and international consultant. Previously, he was Costa Rica's Second Vice President and Minister of National Planning; Secretary for Political Affairs at the Organization of American States; Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and National Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Report. He has taught at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and the University of Texas in Dallas, among many higher education institutions. He holds a Law degree from the University of Costa Rica, a Masters in Government from the University of Essex, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oxford. He has authored several studies on political finance, elections, democratization, citizen security and civil-military relations in Latin America. His doctoral thesis, entitled "Paying for Democracy in Latin America: Political Finance and State Subsidies for Parties in Costa Rica and Uruguay", won the 2004 Jean Blondel PhD Prize of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) and was published in 2005 by the ECPR. He was selected as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2007. Expertise Global overview of democracy, consequences for democracy in general, geopolitics, civil liberties, Latin America Education PhD in Political Science from the University of Oxford, Master degree in Latin American Government and Politics from Essex University, Law degree from the University of Costa Rica. Languages English, Spanish

Job Titles:

• Head of Programme, Sudan / Head of Programme, Sudan

Dr Sami Abdelhalim Saeed was the Head of the International IDEA Programme for Sudan.in his previous positions at the United Nations as a legal advisor in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General SRSG (from 2006 - 2020),…

Job Titles:

• Project Coordinator - Global Democracy Coalition, North America Programme
• Project Coordinator - Global Democracy Coalition, North America Programme / Project Coordinator - Global Democracy Coalition, North America Programme
• Project Coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition

Elisenda Ballesté Buxó is the Project Coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition, a strategic multi-stakeholder alliance of organizations to advance and protect democracy. The Coalition helps to amplify the voices of individual organizations, allows for dialogue across regions, themes and sectors, and enables individual organizations to have greater impact as part of a collective effort to advance and protect democracy. International IDEA is one of the co-coordinators of this initiative. Prior to this, Elisenda managed the EU co-funded Global Monitor of COVID-19´s impact on Democracy and Human Rights project, an online monitoring tool of Covid-19 measures adopted by the 165 countries covered in the Global State of Democracy Indices. She was also responsible for the Middle East subregion in the Global State of Democracy Report and In Focus, producing analysis and assessment on democratic trends and issues. Before joining International IDEA, Elisenda was an academic in various universities in Mexico. She has cooperated closely with NGOs and presented lectures at several international conferences. Expertise Middle East, Yemen, Data analysis, Project management Education BA in International Relations (Universidad de las Américas, Puebla); and MA in Middle Eastern Studies (El Colegio de México A.C.) Languages Arabic, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Job Titles:

• Project Coordinator, Albania

Elvana Kurti was the former Project Coordinator, Albania in the Regional Europe Programme. Elvana joined International IDEA in October 2022. As the face of International IDEA's presence in Albania, Elvana coordinates planning, design, implementation, communication and reporting of the project "Integrity and Trust in the Albanian Election: Fostering Political Finance Transparency and the Safe Use of ICT". She acts as the International IDEA focal point for exchanges with counterparts in the field. Prior to joining International IDEA, Elvana worked with the Albanian-American Development Foundation in the role of Project Manager for LEAD Albania Programme, modeled after the White House Fellows Program in the USA, implemented in partnership with the Albanian Government. Before that, she held the role of Programme Officer with World Vision Albania & Kosovo, covering programmes of youth empowerment, inclusive education, child protection and economic development, serving as a Liaison with international funding offices and coordinating Programme Support Team for WV Western Balkans. Elvana's experience with democracy assistance and elections dates back to 2013 when she joined the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for the implementation of a USAID funded Project "Support for Albania's Parliamentary Elections". Since 2014, she is also an election observer and has participated in a number of OSCE-ODIHR election observation missions in countries such as Bulgaria, Georgia and Ukraine. Expertise democracy assistance and elections; election observation; capacity building and leadership development; project management Education MA, Public Administration (MPA), a joint programme between the University of Nebraska and the Faculty of Economy, University of Tirana; MA, Translation and Interpretation of English Language, University of Tirana; Certificate in Executive Education, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University Languages Albanian, English

Job Titles:

• Programme Manager
• Governance and Electoral Expert
• Programme Officer, Eastern Europe, Regional Europe Programme / Brussels, Belgium

Iuliia Shypilova is the Programme Manager, Elections and Parliamentary Support in our Brussels office. Iuliia Shypilova is an international governance and electoral expert with more than 15 years of experience in electoral assistance, parliamentary strengthening and programme management. Ms. Shypilova has solid experience in managing large donor-funded programs in developing, transitional, and conflict environments, promoting electoral, political finance and parliamentary reforms. Iuliia has worked on a variety of assignments at the international level with a number of international organizations, including the International IDEA, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE ODIHR), International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, in Armenia, Afghanistan, Belgium, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, South Korea, UK, Ukraine, the US, and Uzbekistan. From 2012 to 2018 she worked with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems in various roles, ending as a Head of Programs. From December 2019 to July 2021, she served as the Chief Technical Advisor to UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic, and from August 2021 to April 2022 as a Chief Technical Advisor to UNDP in Armenia, leading the implementation of UN large-scale technical electoral assistance projects. Iuliia is an author and co-author of more than 150 publications on legal issues, holds a master's degree in law. Languages English

Karen Fogg, a former Head of European Union Delegation in Ankara, is appointed as the second Secretary-General of International IDEA.

Job Titles:

• Associate Project Officer for International IDEA 's Europe Regional Programme
• Associate Project Officer, Eastern Europe Democracy Support

Kseniia Lukach is the Associate Project Officer for International IDEA's Europe Regional Programme. Her work is dedicated to implementing initiatives aimed at advancing and building resilient democracies in Eastern Europe. Prior to joining International IDEA, she spent over seven years in academia, where she taught a range of courses in Media, Journalism, and Public Relations. Lukach has authored and published numerous research papers and articles on political communication, media, and disinformation.

Job Titles:

• Director for Asia and the Pacific
• Director for the Asia

Leena Rikkilä Tamang is Director for the Asia and the Pacific region and oversees country programmes in Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. Tamang joined International IDEA in 2002. Between 2004-2013, she managed International IDEA's programme on Supporting Constitution-Building Process in Nepal. She created and supported initiatives aiming at forging consensus on political reform and to develop capacity of Nepalese stakeholders on constitutional options. Prior to her time in Nepal, Tamang worked at the South-Asia Programme, including Burma/Myanmar at International IDEA. Tamang is former Secretary-General of Finland's Advisory Board for Relations with Developing Countries (Ministry for Foreign Affairs). She is a member and former chair (2001-2002) of the Network Institute for Global Democracy (NIGD). Amongst her work with NIGD, she coordinated projects promoting North-South Dialogues on democracy and globalization and was involved in the World Social Forum (WSF) process. She is also a former Board Member of Asia-Europe (ASEF) Foundation and has been teaching at the University of Tampere in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Finland from where she graduated, as well at the department of Environmental Politics. Tamang has worked in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Vietnam and on Burma/Myanmar and published about democracy at the global level, on women's political participation, and on inclusive democratic processes. Expertise Democratic transitions/backsliding in the region, state of democracy in Asia and the Pacific Education Master of Political Sciences (international politics), University of Tampere and Universite de Bordeaux Languages English, Finnish

Job Titles:

• Head of Programme for Mozambique

Miguel Orlando Mendes de Brito is the Head of Programme for Mozambique since 2019. Mendes de Brito was the Mozambique Country Director for the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) from December 2006 to January 2019. Prior to this, he was Senior Democracy and Governance Advisor/Programme Implementation Specialist with USAID in Mozambique for seven years. Before joining USAID, he worked for UNDP in Mozambique as a Program Officer for Human Development at Local Level (1999), and was a researcher on peace and conflict issues with UNRISD's War-Torn Societies Project (1995-1998), and deputy director for research at the Mozambican Centre for Strategic and International Studies and a lecturer of Contemporary International Relations at ISRI (1992-1995). Mendes de Brito has 20 years of experience in the field of political governance, including elections, political party development, legislative support, civic participation and democratic governance at the local level. Mendes de Britoalso has extensive experience in election observation, having observed over 30 electoral processes in Africa and elsewhere over the past 16 years, in addition to providing technical assistance to more than 30 African Union and SADC observer missions, and to citizen observer groups in several African countries. Mendes de Brito has also trained more than 3,000 international and citizen observers in Africa. Education BA (Hons.) degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Mozambican Institute of International Relations (1991), and a MA degree in International Politics and Security Studies from Bradford University in the UK (1993). Languages English, Portuguese

Job Titles:

• Programme Manager
• Programme Manager, Regional Europe Programme
• Programme Manager, Regional Europe Programme / Brussels, Belgium
• Programme Manager, Regional Europe Programme / Programme Manager, Regional Europe Programme

Nana Kalandadze is a Programme Manager in the Regional Europe Programme. Languages English, Russian

Job Titles:

• Acting Head of Programme and Programme Manager, Myanmar Building Federal Democracy
• Programme Manager for the Myanmar Building Federal Democracy

Nathalie Ebead is International IDEA's Acting Head of Programme and Programme Manager for the Myanmar Building Federal Democracy programme. Previously she was International IDEA's Programme Manager for the MyConstitution programme in 2022 and for the EU-funded Support to Elections and Democracy (STEP Democracy) Programme in Yangon, Myanmar from 2020-2021. From 2016-2018 she established, managed and provided strategic direction to the Democracy Assessment, Analysis and Advisory (DAAA) Unit. Previously she established, managed and provided strategic direction to the Democracy Assessment, Analysis and Advisory (DAAA) Unit from 2016-2018. Ebead worked to build International IDEA's capacity to strengthen democratic institutions and processes through analysis, assessment, and advice on democratic trends and issues. This involved mainstreaming gender, diversity, and conflict and security into International IDEA's programmatic activities. Ebead also conceptualized and managed the first edition of International IDEA's signature publication project, The Global State of Democracy and its accompanying Global State of Democracy Indices. From 2018 to 2020 Ebead worked as an independent consultant, contributing to projects in China, the MENA Region, Bangladesh and Serbia focused on rule of law promotion, gender equality and women's political participation, election support and public administration reform for GIZ, UN Women and UNDP. Ebead also served as the Deputy Head of Democratization and Head of the Migration Unit at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) from 2011 to 2015. She was responsible for promoting international human rights and governance standards. Ebead worked for the UNHCR from 2006 to 2008 in Ethiopia and Azerbaijan on protection issues for refugees and internally displaced persons. She served as Deputy Director of the Democratization Department of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo from 2008 to 2011 and worked for the OSCE Presence in Albania from 2003-2006 as Head of Field Office on democratic governance, elections, rule of law, and human rights issues. Expertise Good governance, human rights, rule of law, migration and refugee/IDP protection, gender equality/inclusion, election support Education PhD in International and Constitutional Law; Masters in International Relations Languages English, German

Job Titles:

• Research Assistant
• Research Assistant for the Global Democracy Coalition

Nicolette Karina Kalfas serves as a Research Assistant for the Global Democracy Coalition, a dynamic multi-stakeholder alliance dedicated to advancing and safeguarding democracy worldwide. This coalition is strategically coordinated by the North America Programme at International IDEA. Nicolette's tenure with International IDEA began in April 2024, where she plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the coalition's engagement in both the Summit for Democracy and the preceding GDC Forum. Prior to her role at International IDEA, Nicki honed her skills at the public relations boutique, The Sway Effect, in New York. There, she specialized in communications, data analytics, social media relations, and website design. With a robust educational background in political science, psychology, and communications, Nicki emerged as a reliable advisor to her clients, fostering enduring relationships built on trust.

Job Titles:

• Head of Paraguay Programme

Job Titles:

• Director for Regional Europe
• Director of International IDEA 's Regional Europe Programme
• Director, Regional Europe Programme / Brussels, Belgium

Sam van der Staak is the Director of International IDEA's Regional Europe Programme. His work focuses on responding to democratic developments in Europe, with a special emphasis on the topics of political parties, money in politics, and ICT in democracy.

Job Titles:

• Head of Constitution - Building Programme
• Head of Constitution - Building Programme / Head of Constitution - Building Programme

Sumit Bisarya heads International IDEA's Constitution-Building and Rule of Law Programme, which produces global comparative knowledge, conducts policy advocacy within the field of constitution-building and provides technical support to in-country constitution reform programmes. Bisarya also serves as Head of Mission for International IDEA in the Netherlands. In 2020-2021, Bisarya was seconded to the UN as the senior constitutions advisor for the Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Prior to joining International IDEA, he worked with the International Development Law Organization based in Rome, Italy, where he was manager of IDLO's field programmes. He designed, managed and implemented rule of law assistance programmes in Afghanistan and East/Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan), including designing and establishing institutions for Violence Against Women, Legal Aid and Legal and Judicial Training. Bisarya has been engaged in constitution-building assistance programmes in a range of countries and contexts including Barbados, Chile, Haiti, Jamaica, Myanmar, Nepal, the Gambia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka and Ukraine.