Council for a Community of Democracies

Past CCD Activities

The Community of Democracies Launches the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy

Lithuania hosted a two-day meeting on March 11 and 12 establishing the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy (PFD), consisting of parliamentarians from nations representing the Community of Democracies (CD). Current or former parliamentarians from Lithuania, Mexico, the United States, the Czech Republic, Georgia and other CD countries were convened to launch this initiative to strengthen democratic institutions (particularly parliaments) based on their shared commitment to “work together to strengthen democracy where it is weak and invigorate even where it is longstanding, to promote the peace, development and human rights in their respective countries and around the world.” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek each gave video addresses to the conference.

Pretoria Civil Society Roundtable on the State of Democracy in Africa

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, CCD held its first of five regional roundtables on democracy from February 22-24 in Pretoria, South Africa. More than 30 participants from 15 countries gathered to discuss the issues facing democracy in Africa, with the goal of developing recommendations on democracy promotion to the Community of Democracies and democratic governments from around the world while further discussing civil society efforts to support the ratification of the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. On February 23, a gala dinner was held, emceed by CCD President Robert LaGamma with the keynote address given by South African Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe

CCD Accomplishments in 2009 and Looking Ahead to 2010

2009 was a pivotal year in the development and mission of the Council for a Community of Democracies, in which it successfully organized civil society participation in the Lisbon Ministerial, organized its first regional training workshop on the Diplomat's Handbook and began to forge an effective relationship with the Lithuanian Chair of the CD by participating in Convening Group meetings and assisting in the reformulation of old and new CD Working Groups. 2010 further promises to be a groundbreaking year thanks in large part to a UN Democracy Fund grant in which we are organizing 5 regional roundtables of civil society in addition to planning regional training workshops on the Diplomat's Handbook. Members of the ISC will further be involved in the Working Groups; and the CD’s 10th Anniversary meeting in Krakow will be an opportunity for the organization to relaunch itself to provide more effective support for democracy.

Read CCD's 2009 Year in Review

The Diplomat's Handbook for Democracy Development Support Now In Spanish

Thanks to the government of Spain, the Diplomat's Handbook for Democracy Development Support may now be found in Spanish. This marks an important development for the handbook as CCD begins to plan for diplomats' training workshops in Latin America while increasing the accessibility of this important work to the region and other Spanish speakers.

Europe Signals Greater Engagement in the Community of Democracies

On November 16, Lithuania’s government convened a roundtable in Brussels entitled “New Partnerships in Democracy Building: the European Union and the Community of Democracies.” Concurrent to this meeting, the Council of the European Union agreed to a set of conclusions, entitled, “Council Conclusions on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations.” In it, they adopted conclusions acknowledging the importance of democracy support, and the need to improve existing policy to promote greater cohesion, effectiveness and visibility in regards to its democracy support agenda. Finally, the Council for a Community of Democracies convened a workshop in Warsaw regarding the Diplomat’s Handbook on November 20-21 at the Natolin Campus of the College of Europe.

April 30-May 1, 2009: Asia Roundtable of the Community of Democracies non-Governmental Process

March 2009: Community of Democracies Seminar Addresses Implications of Global Economic and Financial Crisis on Democratic Governance

March 4, 2009: ISC/CD Calls for Release of Human Rights Lawyer in China

November 2008: CCD Board Task Force Issues Recommendations to Obama Administration on Democracy Promotion

November 2008: CCD Publishes Third Pocantico Report, "Implementing the Global Strategic Plan for Democracy Education"

August 7, 2008: ISC/CD Condemns Coup in Mauritania, Urges Peaceful Resolution of Political Crisis and Restoration of Constitutional Governance

July 3, 2008: CCD and Fund for Peace Issue Joint Statement on Zimbabwe

June 2008: CCD Releases Budapest Conference Report, "Prospects for Democratic Transition in the Middle East and North Africa: Implications of the Central/East European and African Experiences"