Democracy Without Borders’ Post

#Democracy plays no role in the #UN’s #Pact for the #Future   by Annika Silva-Leander The Pact for the Future, adopted at the United Nations Summit of the Future on 22-23 September in New York, is a pivotal framework designed to address global challenges with a long-term vision extending beyond 2030. It includes two annexes: the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations, focusing on digital governance and the rights of future generations. The Pact’s five broad focus areas include: sustainable development; international peace and security; science and technology; youth and future generations, and transforming global governance. This comprehensive framework is critical as it proposes reforms to global institutions like the UN, aiming to tackle issues such as climate change and peace and security amid increasing geopolitical tensions. Critical gaps from a democracy lense However, one of the key global challenges missing from the Pact is the decline of democracy, a pressing issue that has significant implications for the other areas the Pact seeks to address. International IDEA’s “Global State of Democracy Report 2024: Strengthening the Legitimacy of Elections in a Time of Radical Uncertainty” highlights how democratic decline and rising authoritarianism are undermining political rights and civic space, which are fundamental for achieving the Pact’s goals on peace, security, and sustainable development. ... Global threats to democracy Democratic institutions Civil society Media freedom Inclusive governance ... https://lnkd.in/gZ-Xn4TC

🌍 The upcoming UN Summit of the Future presents a pivotal moment to reform international governance. Civil society is advocating for meaningful participation, including a global citizens’ initiative and stronger human rights protections. But will these proposals survive diplomatic negotiations? Opinion article, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. #UNSummit #CivilSociety #PeopleAtTheCenter

The world is facing a polycrisis, and that’s because our global governance institutions privilege state interests determined by political and economic elites. To fight the polycrisis, global governance institutions must be influenced not just by states, but by people, writes CIVICUS’ Mandeep Tiwana in this piece. Specific proposals he highlights are the creation of a World Citizens' Initiative, a UN Parliamentary Assembly, and a UN Civil Society Envoy. These are the demands of the "We The Peoples" campaign for inclusive global governance jointly convened by CIVICUS, Democracy International, and Democracy Without Borders. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/es5qFkiz Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx

#UNValues: After 79 years of extramarital affairs, political oblique triangles, asymmetrical arrangements, swinging betrayals, nonreciprocal sacrifices, humanitarian gang bangs and immoral proposals, the United Nations will stage a #Multilateralism themed mass wedding i.e., Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024. And then, Princes take Cinderellas to their zero-net castles ... and all will live happily and sustainably ever after. 1. Thought-provoking and exact to the point, the PassBlue's opinion piece, structured by a witty comparison, makes a good weekend reading. 2. Indeed, the free falling #UN system with its bleaker than ever credibility needs a few things urgently: something old - like honesty, something new - like youth and women empowerment, something borrowed - like nature resilience, and something blue - like peace and humanity. 3. A few things need to be eradicated at once: something old - like institutional and moral corruption, something new (actually old) - like another set of empty promises and ever-receding targets, something borrowed - like political and corporate greed, and something (dark almost black) blue - like humanitarian disasters and human suffering. #PactForTheFuture #HumanitarianCrisis #UNReforms #SummitOfTheFuture #UNGA79

📰NEW ARTICLE 📰 On October 21st and 22nd, 2024, Re-Imagine Europa joined prominent international figures at the OECD - OCDE's Global Forum on Democracy in Milan. The Global Forum themed “Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy. Breaking New Ground for the Future of Democracy” addressed key trends for global democracy. Panel discussions centered around the evolving landscape of #voter participation, #governance, and the #inclusiveness of political processes. Notably, the Forum placed great emphasis on the #digital ecosystem, acknowledging the significant role of countering #polarisation and #disinformation in this context.  This participation underscored RIE’s commitment to #depolarisation, emphasising the critical role #narratives play in shaping public discourse, and the importance of #deliberative approaches in restoring a more cohesive and constructive public debate. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eQX3M2dk 

For many decades, states have been referring to the veto powers of P5 and an enhancement of membership as per new global realities. Perhaps another way forward should be a regional representation model, with regional organisations (e.g., OAU/Africa, ASEAN/SAARC (Asia), EU (Europe), the Americas, Oceania as permanent members for a wider reach. Instead of P5, the Council should adopt 2/3 or 3/4 voting pattern and abolish Veto Power. Also, it should establish independent oversight bodies to review the council’s decisions and actions, ensuring adherence to international law and ethical standards.

International IDEA’s forthcoming report on “Who’s Defending Democracy? Unpacking the Rhetoric at the UN General Assembly” looks at the extent to which the global democratic trends observed in the #GSoD2024 report are reflected in country statements at UNGA high-level week general debates, how countries frame their democracy discourse and whether this framing has evolved since 2015 (which marks the adoption of the #2030Agenda for Sustainable Development. Learn more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dTzpGQzh

🌍 Global governance must be more inclusive to be sustainably effective. The exclusive nature of the United Nations dramatically limits its ability and legitimacy to mobilise effective collective action to confront the critical challenges of today and tomorrow in the best interest of all. The Pact for the Future – to be adopted at the UN Summit of the Future happening this coming week – suggests that they plan to renew their commitment to making the multilateral system more “inclusive to allow for the meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders”. We're one of a group of 160 diverse organisations and networks who want this promise firmed into actionable steps. They are: 🔲 A permanent Global Citizens’ Assembly which would give ordinary citizens, selected by civic lottery to be representative of the world’s population, a say on pressing global challenges. 🔲 A World Citizens’ Initiative, which would enable people to put proposals on the agenda of the UN General Assembly if they get a certain number of signatures globally. 🔲 A UN Parliamentary Assembly, which would include sitting members of national parliaments or directly elected representatives in the work of the UN and act as a watchdog that reflects a broad diversity of global viewpoints. 🔲 A UN Civil Society Envoy, which would enable greater participation, spur inclusive convenings and amplify the UN’s outreach to civil society, other major stakeholders, and the public. Join us in signing this petition for a truly democratic United Nations: https://bit.ly/3MTZ8em

If you're trying to make sense of the recent Pact for the Future adopted by the UN General Assembly last week, here's a great piece by my colleague Scott Jerbi at Institute for Human Rights and Business. In it he asks whether any UN statement of this kind can make a real difference given the extent of today's global divides. And within that, what might these 56 "actions" agreed mean for ongoing efforts to advance responsible business around the world? https://lnkd.in/gXi3CPp3 #justtransitions #responsiblebusiness #bizhumanrights

World leaders have adopted a Pact for the Future at the UN Headquarters, highlighting the need for long-term thinking to safeguard the wellbeing of future generations. But commitments to future citizens are no longer just about symbolic declarations; Europe is already moving towards enshrining formal rights and protections for future generations, writes Beatrice White. “Notable examples in Europe include Finland’s Committee for the Future, established in 1993 as a parliamentary body to conduct research on the social effects of technological development. In Portugal, civil society actors collaborated with policymakers to establish a “Framework for Intergenerational Fairness” – a practical tool to evaluate public policies. In 2023, a citizens’ initiative led to the parliament of Spain’s Balearic Islands passing a law on the wellbeing of present and future generations.” Despite examples at the national level, the EU does not have explicit provisions in its treaties that would compel it to protect the interests of future generations. Given the nature of the European project, how can the EU seize this opportunity to better protect future generations? Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/exDJy-9C #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateChange #EuropeanUnion #FutureGenerations