Program Areas

Program Areas

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Global Democracy

GlobalDemocracy

 Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. — Article 21, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

We advocate a right to democracy at all levels

It is no longer possible to limit democracy to the nation-state. Conversely, democracy can only function on a global scale if it also prospers nationally. We support an improvement and strengthening of democracy and closer collaboration of democratic countries.

All people must enjoy access to fundamental political and civil rights, in particular the right to competitive free and fair elections and political participation.

Democracy Without Borders believes that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the  International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights constitute a right to democracy at all levels of public authority, from the local to the global.

As a measure to help strengthen democracy, Democracy Without Borders supports the creation of a new mandate of the UN Human Rights Council of Special Rapporteur on Democracy.

Two meanings of global democracy

Global democracy can address two things: the state of democracy across the world’s nation-states or democratization of global governance. Learn more about it here. The latter is part of our program area on global governance.

A UN Rapporteur on Democracy

Democracy Without Borders helps coordinate the global campaign for the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy by the UN Human Rights Council.

An Alliance of Democracies

Democracy Without Borders supports the creation of an Alliance of Democracies following these principles and proposals.

Projects

DWB and its chapters are seeking donors and partners to develop projects in the field of democracy promotion at all levels.

Endorsements

We are part of the Global Democracy Coalition and we endorse the Coalition for Democratic Renewal.

News and developments in this program area

V-Dem report 2021: Global wave of autocratization accelerates
Autocratization continued across the world and went “viral” in 2020: The level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen is down to levels last found around 1990. This is
Stefan Kalberer | 14.03.2021
Time for global democracy promotion to be ramped up
Democracy is under pressure across the world. According to the latest annual report by Freedom House, a United States-based non-partisan think-tank, the balance is shifting further “in favour of tyranny”.
Andreas Bummel | 11.03.2021
Global trend towards less freedom continues for the 15th straight year
Freedom House’s 2021 Freedom in the World report casts the state of democracy worldwide as dire, with global freedom declining for the 15th straight year and with the gap between the countries seeing
Peter Orvetti | 05.03.2021
On the two dimensions of global democracy
Democracy Without Borders promotes global democracy. But is it self-evident what this means? This article highlights two perspectives which this term includes. What is democracy? Before elaborating on the global
Petter Ölmunger | 22.02.2021