This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published in September 2015 by International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance ( International IDEA) at http://www.idea.int/about/anniversary/upload/Declaration-of-the-International-IDEA-Member-States-on-the-occasion-of-the-International-Day-of-Democracy-2015.pdf. The second was published in September 2015 at http://greekfestival.gr/en/content/page/international-new-york-times-athens-democracy-forum. The third was published at http://yuvamauritius.com/2015/09/15/international-day-of-democracy/
Our mutual ambitions and core values are espoused in the declaration issued by the 14 Founding Members States of International IDEA, we identify with the concept of democracy as enshrined in the Resolution which created the International Day of Democracy and was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in November 2007. We, the member States, reaffirm our strong and continued engagement and support for international IDEA and its non-prescriptive approach and our commitment to its mandate and the principles expressed in the Statute of International IDEA, which state that democratic participation forms an integral part of human rights and that democracy remains essential for guaranteeing human rights, sustainable democracy, democratic governance, aceess to information, accountability and transparency and remains central elements of national, regional and international development commitments and that strengthening democratic institutions and democratic norms remains a vital goal in itself and a key component in conflict-prevention and peace-building efforts. We take note that in March 2015 the U.N. Human Rights Council established a Forum on human rights, democracy and the rule of law to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to the relationship between these areas, that shall identify and analyse best practices, challenges and opportunities for States in their efforts to secure respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In the past twenty years, many countries have transitioned from authoritarian to democratic rule. Democracy comes in multiple forms and there is no single or universally applicable model of democracy. We consider, however, that at its core, democracy is a system in which the government is controlled by the people. Intrinsic links between sustainable democracy, human rights, democratic institutions and inclusive social and economic development, have not prevented continued challenges posed to democracy, such as insecurity, extremism and shrinking space for civil society, a persisting number of countries emerging from violent conflict or marked by tensions among ethnic, religious or political groups, a diminishing public trust in formal political institutions and disengagement from traditional forms of democratic actors such as political parties.
As the world lurches from crisis to crisis, democracy is under extreme pressure. From the rise of islamist extremism and regimes in states that reject liberal democracy, to the rapid expansion of new technologies, democratic foundations are being threatened in a world where profound changes happen almost overnight. In this era of global uncertainty, these issues and more will frame the debate at the third Athens Democracy Forum. http://athensdemocracyforum.com/ Held on International Democracy Day, the forum will bring together diplomats, scholars, corporate executives, politicians and journalists from around the world to discuss at the foot of the Acropolis the state of liberal democracies and the major challenges they face in the world today. In addition to the main conference, a rich program of affiliated events, including a Google Hangout featuring political activists under house arrest. "The painstaking work of building democracy is never finished. Gatherings like the Athens democracy Forum provide the much-needed oxygen of dialogue." Said the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Democracy is a universally recognized ideal and is one of the core values and principles of the United Nations. Democracy provides an environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights. These values are emboldied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( UDHR ) http://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.html and further developed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights, which enshrines a host of political rights and civil liberties underpinning meaningful democracies. United Nations activities in support of democracy and governance are carried out through the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ), the United Nations Democracy Fund ( UNDEF ), among others. Such activities are inseparable from the U.N.'s work in promoting human rights, development, and peace and security, and include: 1) Assisting parliaments to enhance the checks and balances that allow democracy to thrive. 2) Helping to strengthen the impartiality and effectiveness of national human rights institutions and justice. 3) Helping to develop legislation and media capacities to ensure freedom of expression and access to information. 4) Assisting to develop policies and legislation to guarantee the right to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly. 5) Providing electoral assistance and long-term support for electoral management bodies. 6) Promoting women's participation in political and public life. Over the past 20 years the U.N. has provided various forms of electoral assistance to more than 100 countries, including advisory services, logistics, training, civic education, computer applications and short-term observation. Democracy conferences and summits since the 1990s and in the internationally agreed development goals they produced. World leaders pledged in the Millennium Declaration to spare no effort to promote democracy as well as respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
