Context

Addressing Election Commission of India (ECI)’s international conference on ‘the use of technology election integrity’, the President of International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has highlighted that there is a need for working out voluntary guidelines for social media companies.

About International foundation for Electoral systems (IFES):

• The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) promotes democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the electoral cycle in countries around the world to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, governance and transparency.
• IFES views disenfranchisement and exclusion of persons with disabilities as a human rights issue. IFES promotes the electoral and political rights of persons with disabilities and ensures that a disability perspective is incorporated into the design and implementation of all international programs and DC-based organizational practices.
• IFES has implemented disability programming in more than 30 countries around the world.
• IFES has led a series of initiatives to promote the electoral and political enfranchisement of persons with disabilities in several different arenas, including securing full participation of persons with disabilities as voters and candidates.
• Country-specific projects that are successful are replicated in other regions where IFES works. Even if donors do not explicitly require a disability component, IFES aims to include electoral access elements in each project.
• Fund mechanism: IFES is funded by the US Department of State, Canada, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Australian Aid, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, among others.