Towards a Summit for Democracy

U.S. President Joe Biden pledged in his election campaign to rebuild global alliances, exemplified in a Summit for Democracy, which he said would “renew the spirit and shared purpose of the nations of the free world”. To discuss outcomes and activities of a gathering for democracy, International IDEA, the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies (PSCD) and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) came together to start the conversation and pave the way “Towards a Summit for Democracy.” 
 

Taking into account the long-standing trajectory and global democracy strengthening work carried out by International IDEA, the Community of Democracies, and the Open Government Partnership, this online event aimed to:

• Enable a conversation around the current global state of democracy, identifying challenges such as democracy backsliding and opportunities for the advancement of democracy;
• Discuss what actions may be put in place to uphold basic democratic practices and institutions at all levels, that can serve as a roadmap for a conversation at a global gathering for democracy; and
• Discuss possible outcomes and key activities of a global gathering for democracy.

This meeting brought together high-level representatives of the three convening organizations, who shared lessons learned from their ongoing work to support democracy worldwide. The event additionally provided a space to highlight the important value of the three democracy-leading organizations and provided ideas for the global Summit for Democracy. A shared commitment of the three organizations is strong support for civil society, which also joined in this virtual event, to share their priorities.

As part of this online event, NRGI's Suneeta Kaimal shared her perspectives on democracy. 


Originally published on the International IDEA website.