Last year the UN General Assembly established an annual International Day of Democracy to be celebrated on 15 September. Some may ask, what can an international day of democracy accomplish? Well, not much in itself. But what is significant is that UN member states actually have agreed that democracy is worth celebrating. Not so long ago democracy was considered a contentious and difficult topic in the UN: to some extent it still is, but it signals an evolution. It signals that even if democracies face set backs and we see some country situations where democracy is rolled back, we also see democracy as a norm, as a principle. In short, democracy is gaining ground.
To celebrate the first International Day of Democracy, International IDEA organized a series of activities that focused on highlighting the link between democracy, development and diversity. In Sweden, we organized a Democracy Talkshow together with UNDP and Riksteatern, Sweden’s national touring theatre. In New York, together with the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (UN-DPA) and Development Programme (UNDP), celebrations focused on identifying areas of policy for multilateral action in the current global context – especially by the UN – in the field of democracy promotion and support that would enhance sustainable development processes.
In the run up to this first Democracy Day, the African Union Commission and International IDEA launched a Joint Activity Plan for supporting democracy in Africa. The Plan is centred on the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance which was adopted by the African Union in 2007. It was developed on the acknowledgement that while peace and security are of utmost importance to the region, developing democratic culture and institutions is equally important and, without it, neither security nor peace can be sustained.
Globally we see democracy today being challenged in various ways, and in new ways.
- Challenges to the long-held notion that democracy is best for development, for example when remarkable economic successes are produced by countries with other political systems
- Challenges from the fact that democracy promotion has been perceived as part of agendas for regime-change from the outside
- Challenges from autocratic regimes empowered by high oil and gas prices and seeking to project influence beyond their borders
- Challenges to the notion that democracy is the best way of managing conflict, as elections have turned violent in several countries
- Challenges from the widespread distrust of people in political parties and parliaments seen as elitist and unable to deliver on economic development and social justice.
But we also see signs of hope and promise, not least by people living in very different societies and under very difficult conditions, demonstrating time and time again that they want to have the voice that only democracy can secure them.
Africa is no exception to some of these challenges and signs of promise. The Joint Activity Plan is designed to support the African Union in responding to the challenges facing democracy across the continent – making democracy work better for development, peace and security through strengthening political institutions and processes.
Politics matters to the lives of people. This is why making democratic politics work better is of key importance to development, peace and security in Africa. And that again, is why it is important to provide more support to the African Union’s efforts to build capacity for political engagement.
Building such capacity for political action can help prevent conflict instead of continuing the all too familiar pattern of reacting when conflict has already broken out. Building such capacity for political action can also help put in place democratic processes that can better meet the needs of people for economic and social development.
It is also important to highlight the need for democracy to improve in all countries. Nothing can be considered as one consolidated democracy; new challenges arise all the time and the International Day of Democracy will remind us annually that democracy merits discussion and should not be taken for granted.
Vidar Helgesen
Secretary-General, International IDEA
