According to data from International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Initiative, democracy in Asia and the Pacific is under significant pressure. Only a tiny minority of people in the region live in a high-performing democracy. In the face of weak parliaments and polarized electorates, judiciaries and government agencies like election management bodies have been the core institutions working against democratic decline. Democratic institutions across the region appear, in simple terms, stuck. With key elections forthcoming in 2024 in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere, the question of what to do about democracy in the region is as acute as ever.

To complement the GSoD data, International IDEA gathered experts and practitioners from academia, journalism, civil society and law for a two-day foresight workshop to discuss the possible coming trends and challenges, and the outcomes of that workshop form the basis for this Discussion Paper.