Global launch of the Global State of Democracy 2019 Report: Addressing the Ills, Reviving the Promise

The Global State of Democracy 2019: Addressing the Ills, Reviving the Promise, the second edition of International IDEA’s flagship report will be launched in Brussels on 19 November 2019.

The Global State of Democracy 2019 Report provides a health check of the state of the world’s democracy, analysing trends, opportunities and challenges that are seen across various regions and within regions. The analysis is based on the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices, an index produced by International IDEA that measures democratic performance across 158 countries from 1975 to today.

The report aims to inform the global democracy debate with evidence and data and provide a nuanced analysis of how opportunities and challenges to democracy play out in different ways around the world, shaped by regional and country contexts. Beyond the diagnostic and in order to help rebalance the current democracy debate, the report also seeks to provide policy recommendations, building on the good practices and cases which have shown resilience in the face of challenges. These have been collected through International IDEA’s more than 20 years of regional and country-level technical assistance in democratic reform throughout the world.

The report mainly targets policymakers and civil society organizations working at the national, regional or international levels, either implementing, supporting or advocating for democratic reforms. The report also targets those policymakers who may not be working directly on democratic reform but are involved in reform processes more broadly, be they economic, social or digital.

The global launch of the GSoD 2019 Report seeks to present the key findings of the report and discuss its policy relevance with policymakers from the international and bilateral donor community, national policymakers, civil society organizations and opinion-makers, to identify common solutions.

On 14 October 2019, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted new Council Conclusions on democracy under the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Conclusions call for a common and practical response from the EU and member states to the challenges to democracy in their actions worldwide.

The analysis and data in the GSoD report provide an impartial, evidence-based backdrop for the EU’s ongoing discussions on key priorities and actions to strengthen democracy worldwide. The report’s framework and indices enable a structural follow-up on the Council Conclusions, and provide substantial input for the Panel Discussion organized by the Finnish EU Presidency immediately following the GSoD Global Launch.

Follow our GSoD2019  events and conversations on Facebook and Twitter with these hashtags:

#stateofdemocracy

#revivedemocracy

#GSoD2019

- The Global State of Democracy 2019 Report-

Global Launch Programme

09:15 - 09:45 Coffee and registration  

Moderator: Ms Adina Trunk, Special Advisor to Secretary-General, International IDEA 

09:45 - 09:55

Introductory remarks   

Dr Kevin Casas Zamora,  Secretary-General, International IDEA

09:55 - 10:05

Keynote addresss

H.E. Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles,  Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain Designate High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy  
 
10:05 - 10:10

The Global State of Democracy 2019 - film screening 

10:10 - 10:25

Presentation of the key global findings of the GSoD 2019 report  
Ms Keboitse Machangana, Director of Global Programme, International IDEA 
 
10:25 – 10:40  

Highlights of regional findings - Africa  - Asia and the Pacific - Americas - Europe 
Ms Annika Silva-Leander,  Head of Democracy Assessment and Political Analysis, International IDEA 

10:40 – 11:00 
Q&A with Regional Directors of International IDEA 

11:00 – 11:40 
Panel discussion: Implications of the GSoD findings for the international donor community, civil society, and  opinion-makers/journalists  
 
Statements and questions from the moderator 

• Ms Chiara Adamo , Head of Unit Gender Equality, Democratic Governance and Human Rights, DG DEVCO, European Commission 
• Mr Mikael Lindvall , Political and Security Committee Ambassador, Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU 
• Ms Emma Achilli, Head of European Union Office, Front Line Defenders
• Mr Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for The New York Times

1:40 – 11:55  Q&A  

11:55 – 12:05 
 Closing remarks

Dr Kevin Casas Zamora,  Secretary-General, International IDEA

12:05 – 12:30 Coffee and mingle