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Remarks by Morton H. Halperin on Behalf of the ISC/CD at the UN Democracy Caucus
September 23, 2011 | Printer Friendly

On September 23, the United Nations Democracy Caucus convened in New York to discuss the theme of Democracy Education. The Caucus saw an opening address from Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia and was attended by heads of state, high-level diplomats and distinguished members of civil society. Representing civil society, Dr. Morton H. Halperin spoke on the behalf of the International Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies.

Please see below for Dr. Halperin’s remarks:

I am honored to speak on behalf of the nongovernmental International Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies, a civil society support network for the Community of Democracies. We pledge our support to the Mongolian Chair of the Community of Democracies.

Since its inception in Warsaw eleven years ago, the Community of Democracies has been a rare partnership between civil society and government. I would maintain that such a partnership has kept it vital and served as a constant reminder to governments of the central role of civil society.

We rejoice at the Mongolian Commitment to advance the work of democracy education around the globe. We have long advocated the importance of giving education for democracy such a high priority since it is our conviction that it is central to the consolidation and advance of democratic values and institutions. We look forward to participating in the proposed Working Group on that subject that is to be chaired by Mongolia and Poland, as we are committed to participation in all Working Groups.

Let me note two important initiatives we have contributed to the work of the CD. The first, launched four years ago, is the Diplomat’s Handbook which was the subject of a workshop held in Santiago, Chile under the auspices of the ISC and the Organization of American States. The Handbook represents a new paradigm for diplomacy in an age of democracy and we urge all democratic governments to consider the new way of conducting diplomacy by assisting civil society in its quest for democracy. The second initiative, recently launched by the Council for a Community of Democracies, will explore and make recommendations about how military establishments can relate to democratic transitions.

Let me turn to the most dramatic and historic development of the year, the Arab Spring that has ushered democratic ideas into the Middle East and North Africa, sometimes peacefully, at other times with tragic violence. The peoples of Tunisia and Egypt, recently joined by those of Libya, are now at work debating issues related to the complete transformation of their societies. We must all not only wish them well, but actively assist them to do so successfully. Freedom is too precious to us all to allow it to slip through our hands. We are delighted that the democracy partnership challenge has been launched.

We in civil society will continue to speak out on behalf of those struggling for democracy in Belarus, Burma, Zimbabwe and in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain.

Finally, I want to say that civil society strongly supports the transformation of the community in a body that not only debates but takes concrete actions in support of governments on the path of democracy.

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