Basic concepts

In order to discuss regional cooperation for the promotion of democracy, a minimum consensus on certain concepts, such as the following, is required:

In general terms, democracy is understood as an institutional arrangement aimed at ensuring popular control over public decision making. This implies the existence of democratic institutions and related legal framework, as well as political equality among citizens. In a broader sense, however, democracy cannot be reduced to such formal considerations. It involves other elements, of a deeper nature that, as a whole, guarantee that people indeed benefit from democracy in the political, economic and social spheres. In particular this compels a fundamental commitment by governments to poverty eradication among their populations, a commitment which in turn implies the adoption of policies which prioritize the improvement of the living conditions of ordinary people through programmes of sustainable social and economic development.

When assessing democracy, further elements should be considered such as: free, fair and regularly scheduled elections; respect for the rule of law; independence of the judiciary; independence of the legislature; full respect for minority rights and gender equity; control of the military by civilian authority; the existence of a competitive multi political party system; an equitable distribution of wealth; public accountability to the electorate; and full transparency and access to information.

The above elements justify and uphold the recognition and protection of certain rights and freedoms which are inherent to the human person. Furthermore, democracy creates and constantly develops a propitious atmosphere for human development, peace and stability.

In understanding the essence and workings of democracy, it is imperative to acknowledge that it also implies a dynamic process that needs constant strengthening and fostering. Since the democratic process requires recurrent revision and up keeping, its consolidation is a permanent task for which governments are responsible.

We must also emphasize the central role that civil society bears in this process, for it is from civil society that the shape of democratic demands spring from. As the traditional depositary of democratic values, civil society is fundamental to the development of good management in public affairs and to the betterment of democracy.

The Promotion of Democracy

A. Regional Cooperation

In the last decade, the international climate has been conducive to the development and consolidation of democracy. For instance, intergovernmental fora have encouraged the development of instruments and resolutions that strengthen the obligation of governments to protect the right to citizen participation in political processes, as well as the protection of other fundamental rights and freedoms. These instruments and resolutions make it clear not only that the respect for these principles is essential to democracy, but also that there is a duty to promote it internally and externally.

In so doing, some regions, particularly Europe and the Americas, have been successful in fostering democracy through an open dialogue on democratic practices and principles as well as by pursuing the establishment of regional cooperation mechanisms for its promotion.

Cooperation agreements can play a fundamental role in the promotion and consolidation of democracy in all regions and, better still, on a worldwide scale. By these agreements, we can find new ways of promoting and spreading the understanding and workings of democracy and its institutions to the benefit of the governed. They also serve to reinforce the coordination of intergovernmental actions for the persistent application of these regional instruments.

B. Existing Regional Experiences

The European Union

The European Union (EU) gives priority to the basic principles of democracy. All the foundational documents of the EU refer to the common position held by member states regarding the defense and promotion of freedom and democracy, human rights and legality in its internal as well external relations.

In the internal sphere, the Amsterdam Treaty includes a “suspension clause” that allows the EU to impose sanctions on a member state that fails to respect the basic principles of democracy, human rights and legality. These basic principles are also prerequisites to EU membership for Central and Eastern European countries that wish to join.

Other European institutions, such as the Council of Europe and the Organization for European Security and Cooperation are also based on the same democratic principles.

Concerning its external relations, in 1995, the EU introduced a “democratic clause” as an obligatory element of all its cooperation agreements with third countries.

The Americas

On the 11th of September of 2001, the OAS Extraordinary General Assembly session adopted the Inter American Democratic Charter as an effort to promote and improve democracy. The Charter purports to stimulate democratic processes in the hemisphere, placing its pivotal center in the interlinking of democracy and human rights, development, and the eradication of poverty. It also advances the notion that the breach of the democratic order in a member country constitutes "an insurmountable obstacle" for its government’s participation in the OAS processes.

In this way, the Inter American Democratic Charter has been upheld as a touchstone for joint regional action, specifically when threats to democracy materialize. Its creation proved a fruitful experience as a joint exercise between all states in the hemisphere with the purpose of promoting democracy in the region and ensuring that democratization rests on previously agreed values.

Although it is clear that there is no instrument which by its sole adoption, will be sufficient to make its contents reality, the creation and development of the Inter American Democratic Charter was an opportunity to engage in a regional dialogue on the subject in order to understand where we are and where we want to be.

Africa

The African Union, which came into being on 9 July 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity, is founded on strong commitments to democracy. The Preamble of the Constitutive Act of the African Union places at the core of the organization the determination “to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture, and to ensure good governance and the rule of law”. This determination finds its way into the objectives of the union where the protection of human rights in accordance with international instruments and the promotion of good governance are reiterated. In pursuit of these democratic objectives the African Union commits itself to functioning according to principles which prohibit the use of force or threat of force, condemn unconstitutional changes of government, and which embrace the organisations right to intervene in cases of war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity. Article 30 unequivocally states that governments which come to power through unconstitutional means will be suspended from the organization. It is worth noting that the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), now adopted as the working vision of the African Union, fleshes out the abstract commitments into an implementable programme of action. The African Union is also unique in its emphasis on poverty eradication, social responsibility and sustainable development as pre requisites for lasting democratic stability.

Objectives of the promotion of democracy

Considering the agreement within the Community of Democracies on what basic concepts and elements constitute democracy; the existing duty of States to promote it both individually and collectively; the need to resort to regional cooperation as an effective means to fulfill such duty and the experiences drawn from the American and European regions, the promotion of democracy should focus primarily on the following objectives:

• Strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law and, in general terms, the social and economic well-being of the individual and society at the national level.
• Fostering social awareness of the meaning of and the benefits that come with democracy.
• Reinforcing the understanding and application of the principles of popular control over public decision making and political equality among citizens in the exercise of that control.
• Promoting the understanding and adoption of democratic values.
• Promoting knowledge and expertise on the organization of democratic institutions and mechanisms that improve the management of public affairs.
• Promoting the awareness of human rights, especially of civil and political rights.
• Promoting public consciousness of the obstacles to democracy such as those derived from discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion, language, class, wealth, etc

Objectives of Regional cooperation for the promotion of democracy

Considering regional cooperation as the agreed tool to achieve the above goals should be aimed at:

• Initiating an interregional dialogue on democratic principles and practices.
• Seeking the institutionalization of regional cooperation for promoting democracy, including the discussion and creation of instruments and mechanisms for this purpose.
• Reviewing the state of democracy in our respective regions.
• Supporting democratically elected governments in the consolidation of their democratic processes.
• Identifying the traits or features of democracy that are common to our regions.
• Identifying what is distinctive about a given region’s situation or democratic institutions, by comparison with others.
• Finding ways to avoid and resolve threats and obstacles to democracy on a regional basis.
• Identifying best democratic practices and innovative problem solving to strengthen the promotion of democratic institutions. The fulfillment of these objectives can be achieved by the creation and adoption of regional instruments and mechanisms.
• Increasing public awareness on a regional level about what democracy involves and what standards of performance people should expect from their governments.

Suggested questions for discussion

• Can the promotion of democracy be successful through the creation and development of regional cooperation agreements?
• What other objectives should the promotion of democracy include in regional cooperation?
• What policies can be adopted to counter regional threats to democracy? and, Would the creation of a collective action mechanism (as that prescribed in the Interamerican Democratic Charter) serve this purpose?
• Would it be suitable to suggest that the Seoul Action Plan include the future discussion and adoption of regional agreements for cooperating in the promotion of democracy?