Program Areas

Program Areas

New UN democracy mandate debated at Oslo Freedom Forum side event

Flags of the Oslo Freedom Forum are lined up alongside Oslo's famous Karl Johan Gate avenue each year. Photo: © Human Rights Foundation

A round table held on the sidelines of the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum brought together a diverse group of international experts, executives, academics and activists from across the world’s regions working in the fields of human rights and democracy to assess the United Nations’ engagement on democracy and to explore the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy (UNRoD).

Convened by CIVICUS and Democracy Without Borders in collaboration with the Human Rights Foundation, the meeting served as a space for open reflection, revealing support by some participants but also concerns on the part of others about introducing a new UN mandate on democracy.

Sigrid Lipott, UN Lead for CIVICUS, opened by recognizing a “widespread democratic regression affecting both emerging democracies and long-established ones.” Ichal Supriadi, Secretary-General of the Asia Democracy Network, reinforced the message, noting that “the erosion of democracy affects human rights and vice versa.”

Is the UN “Missing in Action” with regard to democracy?

Some of the participants in the round table gathered for a group photo afterwards. Photo: © Human Rights Foundation

The discussion touched on the perceived growing influence of authoritarian regimes within the UN system. Andreas Bummel, Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders, noted the omission of relevant references to democracy in the UN’s 2024 Pact for the Future despite efforts to include them in the consensus-based negotiations. The UN’s current position on democratic governance he characterized as “Missing in Action,” a sentiment echoed by several contributors. At the same time, reference was made to a recent resolution of the Human Rights Council which called for action to combat the global trend of democratic backsliding.

The exchange centered on the UNRoD which is called for in a joint statement endorsed by over 150 civil society groups and think tanks worldwide. Supporters participating in the round table argued that a UNRoD could serve as a “high-impact and relatively low-cost mechanism” to reassert democratic norms within the UN’s human rights framework.

Mantas Adomėnas, Secretary-General of the Community of Democracies, articulated that the UNRoD represents a response to what he described as a “triple global crisis”: an institutional crisis stemming from the breakdown of multilateral cooperation, a narrative crisis in which authoritarian regimes appear to gain the upper hand, and a geopolitical crisis in which traditional democratic champions have receded or realigned.

A UN Rapporteur on Democracy: a high-impact and low-cost mechanism?

Some attendees expressed concerns about the feasibility and risks of launching a new mandate. Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association, highlighted that the current situation at the UN was marked by financial strain, political caution, and ideas to cluster, merge and reduce existing mandates of the Special Procedures. In this climate it would be hard to get a new mandate established without affecting the existing ones and to make it function effectively. Others warned that without tightly defined terms and a safeguarded appointment process, the role of UNRoD risked co-option by illiberal states.

Addressing potential overlaps with current mandates, another concern raised by some participants, it was observed that a UNRoD was to cover gaps in the UN’s existing human rights framework related to democratic governance, in particular to election integrity, checks and balances, the effectiveness of parliaments, transparency and accountability, and citizen participation.

Regional dynamics and political will were additional subjects of discussion. One participant noted a “pattern of governments expressing quiet agreement” but still being hesitant to offer visible support for a UNRoD at this time, primarily for political reasons. A participant from the Global South noted that authoritarian governments in the region were suppressing their own people, using rhetoric of democracy being “foreign or culturally incompatible” to help fend off criticism from within and abroad.

The key at this point is political leadership

To push the proposed mandate forward, Lisbeth Pilegaard, Chair of the Executive Committee of the European Endowment for Democracy, stressed that “the key need at this point is political leadership”. It was emphasized that political support was required from democratic countries from all regions.

The exchange concluded on the hopeful note that “the discussion on the new mandate in itself is already a part of regaining democratic initiative” at the UN.

The Oslo Freedom Forum is an annual gathering organized by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) that brings together human rights activists, journalists, policymakers, and technologists to share stories, strategies, and solutions for advancing freedom and democracy around the world.

“The Oslo Freedom Forum is proud to provide a platform where bold ideas like a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy can be discussed freely,” said Javier El-Hage, HRF’s chief legal and policy officer. “This initiative reflects the urgency of reinforcing democratic norms globally, with a focus on countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, especially within the UN system itself,” he noted.