International Republican Institute

International Republican Institute (IRI) is a United States-based, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization (IRC Section 501(c)(3)) dedicated to advancing democracy and freedom worldwide. Founded in 1983 as one of the core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, IRI is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and works in partnership with civil society, political parties and government institutions in more than 100 countries.

This entry reflects IRI’s program presence in Fiji, part of its Asia-Pacific portfolio covering Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. IRI has been active in Fiji’s democratic development for over a decade, including serving as an international election observer for the country’s 2014 national elections. Current Fiji programming focuses on strengthening civil society and democratic participation amid the country’s periods of political instability, supporting emerging women political leaders through IRI’s Women’s Democracy Network, and helping local partners counter misinformation, disinformation and hate speech that can undermine public trust.

IRI’s work is not commercial and it has no shareholders. Its activities are funded primarily through grants and cooperative agreements from U.S. government sources, including the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State, supplemented by private and other public funding. As a nonprofit, IRI’s operations and finances are reported annually in IRS Form 990 filings and its own annual reports rather than in a commercial company registry.