Annika.Silva-Leander

About Annika Silva-Leander

Dr. Annika Silva-Leander is Head of North America Outreach and Analysis at International IDEA where she oversees International IDEA’s outreach in the region. As an opinion-builder on democracy and as lead author of International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy report from 2018 to 2021, she also contributes to the global democracy debate through her analysis and speaking engagements on the state of democracy globally.

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 holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is Swedish-Chilean.