A Global Conference on Countering Election-Related Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) will take place on March 3 and 4, 2027, in Chișinău, Moldova, and will bring together representatives of civil society organisations, researchers, election experts, regulators, and policymakers from around the world to exchange evidence, experiences, tools, and strategies for confronting what organisers describe as an increasingly sophisticated and transnational threat to democratic integrity.
Organized by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), an intergovernmental organization that supports democracy worldwide, with the support of Global Affairs Canada, the two-day conference will serve as the culminating global exchange of a multi-country initiative designed to strengthen resilience against election-related FIMI.
The initiative has focused on supporting democratic actors in Moldova, North Macedonia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, while generating lessons and approaches that can be adapted to other countries confronting similar threats.
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference has emerged as a major concern for democracies around the world as foreign actors increasingly exploit social media platforms, digital technologies, and weaknesses in information ecosystems to influence public debate and undermine trust in democratic institutions.
The conference will, therefore, provide an opportunity for participants to examine the changing nature of these threats and to consider more effective ways of protecting electoral processes without undermining freedom of expression and other fundamental rights.
The organisers said the gathering will bring together civil society organisations, academic researchers, and regulatory bodies from across the world to share evidence, methods, legal tools, and strategies and to advance a more global understanding of FIMI and its implications for democratic resilience.
As part of preparations for the conference, International IDEA issued a call for panel contributions, in which it invited organisations and institutions with relevant expertise to propose discussions for the global gathering.
It invited proposals from civil society and non-governmental organisations working on issues such as disinformation, social-media monitoring, media literacy, content regulation, information integrity, election integrity, and democratic governance.
Academic and research institutions with expertise in foreign influence operations, political communication, and related fields were also encouraged to submit proposals, alongside government bodies, intergovernmental organisations, regulatory agencies, and policy institutions engaged in electoral oversight, cybersecurity, information integrity, and democratic resilience.
The conference is underpinned by a recognition that foreign information manipulation cannot be effectively addressed through isolated national responses alone, as FIMI campaigns frequently operate across borders and platforms and may combine manipulated narratives with coordinated online activity, cyber operations, and other forms of influence.
The conference is expected to provide an important forum for examining what works, as well as what does not, in efforts to counter foreign information manipulation.
It will also provide an opportunity to share experiences between countries and regions facing different forms of interference, while exploring practical approaches to improving cooperation among election management bodies, civil society, researchers, technology experts, and other actors.
