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Democracies Must Work Together
by THOMAS E. GARRETT
The United States and its global allies are facing summit is projected as an opportunity to reset the unprecedented challenges to democratic governance U.S. as a global leader within the multilateral system. in 2020. Few are spared from traditional issues like And Johnson’s D-10 idea was offered with a focus voter apathy and legislative gridlock or more recent on discussing 5G mobile networks and strengthening problems such as the heavy flow of migrants or foreign vital supply chains. election interference. But the To these challenges fact that so many democracies must now be added another in so many places are dealing matter of major global with the same concerns at the concern requiring democratic same time means there’s an solidarity — the COVID-19 unprecedented opportunity pandemic. Although the novel to work together on shared coronavirus is not confined solutions. by any border or particular
In the U.S., the idea of political system, it undeniably democratic nations working burst onto the scene from a together has long had bipartisan non-democratic nation, China, appeal. The late Senator John whose initial reaction was McCain called for a “League to devote considerable state of Democracies” during his resources towards silencing 2008 run for president. This those who sounded the alarm. year, a plank in Joe Biden’s In response to the virus, presidential campaign Thomas E. Garrett not every democracy has platform raises the idea of a performed successfully, and summit of democracies. Other not every authoritarian system democratic nations are keen A study of epidemics has failed. The U.S., for for something similar. When between 1960 and 2019 in example, has struggled, while President Trump mentioned his interest in expanding the the June 6 edition of The Vietnam is tackling the crisis effectively. But resiliency G-7 meeting to include Russia, Economist found there to and an ability to self-correct the proposal was greeted be a correlation between through constitutional unenthusiastically. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson lower death rates and procedures and access to freedom of information and proposed instead a “D-10” countries where the basic opinion are hallmarks of gathering of democracies, tenets of democracy are democracy that are essential which would add Australia, India, and South Korea to firmly in place. to overcoming a crisis. And while data on COVID-19 is the existing G-7 (but exclude still being collected, a study of Moscow). epidemics between 1960 and
The objective of each of these proposals was for 2019 in the June 6 edition of The Economist found democratic states to take coordinated action when there there to be a correlation between lower death rates was a threat to the rules-based international order. and countries where the basic tenets of democracy are McCain’s “league” was meant to act when China or firmly in place. Russia vetoed U.N. Security Council action on human “Most data suggest that political freedom can be rights or Western security issues. Biden’s democracy (Cont’d on page 26)
19 PRINCIPLES OF THE WARSAW DECLARATION Signed June 27, 2000 by the United States and 105 other countries
1. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government, as expressed by exercise of the right and civic duties of citizens to choose their representatives through regular, free and fair elections with universal and equal suffrage, open to multiple parties, conducted by secret ballot, monitored by independent electoral authorities, and free of fraud and intimidation. 2. The right of every person to equal access to public service and to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. 3. The right of every person to equal protection of the law, without any discrimination as to race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. 4. The right of every person to freedom of opinion and of expression, including to exchange and receive ideas and information through any media, regardless of frontiers. 5. The right of every person to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 6. The right of every person to equal access to education. 7. The right of the press to collect, report and disseminate information, news and opinions, subject only to restrictions necessary in a democratic society and prescribed by law, while bearing in mind evolving international practices in this field. 8. The right of every person to respect for private family life, home, correspondence, including electronic communications, free of arbitrary or unlawful interference. 9. The right of every person to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, including to establish or join their own political parties, civic groups, trade unions or other organizations with the necessary legal guarantees to allow them to operate freely on a basis of equal treatment before the law. 10. The right of persons belonging to minorities or disadvantaged groups to equal protection of the law, and the freedom to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, and use their own language. 11. The right of every person to be free from arbitrary arrest or detention; to be free from torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment; and to receive due process of law, including to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 12. That the aforementioned rights, which are essential to full and effective participation in a democratic society, be enforced by a competent, independent and impartial judiciary open to the public, established and protected by law. 13. That elected leaders uphold the law and function strictly in accordance with the constitution of the country concerned and procedures established by law. 14. The right of those duly elected to form a government, assume office and fulfill the term of office as legally established. 15. The obligation of an elected government to refrain from extra-constitutional actions, to allow the holding of periodic elections and to respect their results, and to relinquish power when its legal mandate ends. 16. That government institutions be transparent, participatory and fully accountable to the citizenry of the country and take steps to combat corruption, which corrodes democracy. 17. That the legislature be duly elected and transparent and accountable to the people. 18. That civilian, democratic control over the military be established and preserved. 19. That all human rights -- civil, cultural, economic, political and social -- be promoted and protected as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.
Source: https://community-democracies.org
a tonic against disease,” the study found. “Though 106 democratic states in June 2000 — the largest these outbreaks varied in contagiousness and lethality, gathering of democracies until that time. Together, a clear correlation emerged. Among countries with the countries agreed that, while diversity existed similar wealth, the lowest death rates tend to be in among their political systems, there are universal places where most people can vote in free and fair standards that must be present for a nation to call itself elections. Other definitions of democracy give similar a democracy. In addition to the United States, the results … People who praise China for its handling countries signing the Declaration and endorsing these of covid-19 would do better to look at Taiwan, a principles included Germany, Thailand, New Zealand, neighbouring democracy. China wasted valuable time Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Egypt. in December by intimidating doctors who warned of a Clearly, a lot has changed over the past two lethal virus. Taiwan swiftly launched tracing measures decades. Russia is now ruled by Putin, not Yeltsin, in January — and has suffered only seven deaths.” and Venezuela has become a failed state. But the
The inherent resilience of democracies and principles that form the basis of the Declaration have their ability to course correct is the focus of stood the test of time. And as the world confronts a recent statement on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19, it is critical that issued by the Community the democratic nations of of Democracies, an the world keep our shared i n t e r g o v e r n m e n t a l principles in mind moving coalition of democratic forward. This is especially states seeking to coordinate true at a time when the action on issues of the international order and rule of law, democracy, many of the multi-national and human rights. Called organizations that have been the Anniversary Bucharest Statement, As the world confronts the established to maintain this order are being questioned the pronouncement was challenges posed by COVID-19, and coming under assault. drafted and adopted by it is critical that the democratic America’s recent the United States and 28 other democracies on June nations of the world keep our withdrawal from the World Health Organization is not 26. Among other things, shared principles in mind without precedent. President it cautions governments moving forward. Jimmy Carter withdrew that the cure for this crisis the United States from should not be worse than the International Labor the crisis itself. Organization in 1977, while
“In some cases,” the statement warns, “measures President Ronald Reagan pulled the U.S out of the United to address the pandemic are being misused to restrict Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization civil liberties, centralize power, manipulate electoral in 1984. While these decisions were reversed by later processes, reverse gender equality gains, and expand Presidents, the fact remains that America has withheld exclusionary practices against marginalized groups support from international organizations before. What and persons. Emergency measures may be necessary is without precedent is for democracies to go it alone in to protect public health, but they should be evidencethe face of such an unprecedented crisis as COVID-19, based, proportionate to the public health risk and and effectively cede influence of an organization as short in duration, and regularly reconsidered as the influential as the WHO. situation evolves, with the aim of leaving democratic A far more effective course would be for the U.S. procedures and human rights in full force.” to bring democracies together under our shared set of
Beyond this, the statement also addresses the principles and work to shape the agenda and direction impact the pandemic may have on core democratic of the WHO and other multi-lateral forums in the activities, including: elections, the ability for citizens months and years ahead. For at the end of the day, to access information and engage in free expression; these principles are not only the links that unite us, equal access to education; and, freedom of assembly but ones that will keep our nations — and the world and association. — healthy, safe, and free. RF
These activities and other essential freedoms are key elements of the Community of Democracies’ Warsaw Thomas E. Garrett serves as Secretary General of the Declaration, a set of 19 principles adopted by Community of Democracies.
