Two months ago, precisely on 15th of September, all over the world was celebrated the democracy. This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at https://www.un.org/en/observances/democracy-day. The second was published at https://www.twinkl.com.br/event/international-day-of-democracy-2020
The unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has resulted in social, political and legal challenges globally. As states around the world adopt emergency measures to address the crisis, it is critical that they continue to uphold the rule of law, protect and respect basic principles of legality, and the right to access justice, remedies and due process. U.N. has urged governments to be transparent, responsive and accountable in their covid-19 response and ensure that any emergency measures are legal, necessary and non-discriminatory. U.N. says states must respect and protect, among other rights, freedom of expression and of the press, freedom of information, freedom of association and of assembly. Concerns in many countries in the context of COVID-19 include: 1) Measures to control the flow of information and crackdown on freedom of expression and press freedom against an existing background of shrinking civic space. 2) Arrest, detention, prosecution or persecution of political opponents, journalists, doctors and healthcare workers, activists for allegedly spreading "fake news". 3) Agressive cyber-policing and increased online surveillance. The crisis raises the question how best to counter harmful speech while protecting freedom of expression. Efforts to eliminate misinformation can result in purposeful or unintentional censorship. The most effective response is accurate, clear and evidence-based information from sources people trust. Around the world civil society have answered the U.N. call to action to address the wide range of ways the COVID-19 crisis may impar democracy, by: 1) Developing media literacy, more critical than ever as activism is forced online, so as to address the risk of suppression, interference and closing of civic space. 2) Fighting misinformation and hate speech 3) Empowering women against gender-based violence, which has surged amid Covid-19 quarantines. 4) Helping to highlight the challenges of inequality and weak service delivery made worse by the crisis, with specific focus on the needs and rights of women, minorities and other marginalized populations, so as to help hold governments to account. The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. Democracy is as much a process as a goal, and only with the full participation of and support by the international community, national governing bodies and individuals, can the ideal of democracy be made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. The values of freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections are essential elements of democracy. International Day of Democracy is celebrated annually on 15th September. It is a chance to review the state of democracy around the world, encourage democratic movements and promote freedom, peace and human rights. It began in 2007 and each year the event centres around different themes. In 2019, the theme was participation, and the event gave rise to an app to help citizens get involved with politics. In true democracies, citizens can take an active role in their governments and hold politicians to account by voting them out. Democracy is linked to human rights and aims to ensure that everyone in a society is represented. Democracy should ensure that governments protect their people. International Day of Democracy is an opportunity to assess issues like human rights, equality and conflict resolution throughout the world. It is a chance to reflect on our own freedoms. It encourages action and motivates people to work collectively for a fairer and more representative government.
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