The Community of Democracies' Parliamentary Forum for Democracy Convenes In Washington, DC

“Founding our work is the simple idea that a parliament is the central institution of democracy, we commit to strengthen the role of national parliaments in our own countries and, in each of them, the functions of representation, legislation and oversight of the Executive.” – Vilnius Declaration Establishing the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy

US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi shakes hands with PFD Chair Emanuelis Zingeris

Commemorating the International Day of Democracy, on September 15, 2010, Lithuania hosted the third meeting of the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy (PFD) at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC.  The meeting was convened to discuss challenges to democracy in Eastern Europe and Central and South America and was attended by parliamentarians from nations representing the Community of Democracies (CD).  Representing the United States were House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator John McCain.  The meeting was attended members of European Parliament via teleconference.  The meeting was also attended by Special Adviser to President Barack Obama and Director of Multilateral Affairs Samantha Power and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and senior director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs Michael McFaul, both members of Obama’s National Security Council.

Current or former parliamentarians from Lithuania, Mexico, the United States, the Czech Republic, Georgia and other CD countries originally 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.” 

Primarily, the PFD serves as a platform for parliamentarians to share best practices regarding democratization and engage their respective national governments to support and strengthen the institution of parliaments around the world. New and emerging democratic societies are priorities for the PFD as are countries where democracy is threatened. In regards to the latter point, the PFD previously passed two resolutions on the current situations in both Georgia and Cuba.  At this latest session, the PFD issued a statement on Russia, condemning the recent crackdown on human rights and democracy activists.

During the third meeting, the PFD passed the Washington Declaration, which recognized International Democracy Day and reaffirmed the CD’s commitment of working together to strengthen democracy “where it is weak and invigorate where it is longstanding.”  This newest declaration also asserted the importance of human rights (including for women and children), freedom of expression, independent media, transparency, access to education, and rule of law.  The declaration acknowledged the world’s current “democracy recession” and pledged to continue to support democratic opposition movements.

The CD was created in June 2000 at a ministerial conference in Warsaw, Poland with the aim to support and strengthen democracy throughout the world through international cooperation between democratic governments.  Signatory governments have held subsequent conferences in Seoul (2002), Santiago (2005), Bamako (2007), Lisbon (2009) and Vilnius (2011). 

The PFD was first convened in Vilnius, Lithuania on the anniversary of Lithuanian independence on March 11, 1990 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  It is chaired by Emanuelis Zingeris, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament or Seimas, with 7 Vice-Presidents acting as its secretariat in planning its future activities.

Participants meet twice annually, once each year on March 11 in Lithuania and at least one other time each year.  These meetings will allow participants to collaborate on projects to strengthen fledgling democracies and reinvigorate current democracies.

To read about the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy's past activities, please see:

The Community of Democracies Launches the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy

The Parliamentary Forum for Democracy Meets During the 10th Anniversary of the Community of Democracies