 It's 1 p.m. New York time. I'm Massimo Tomasoli. I'm the Permanent Observer for International Idea to the UN. And I have the honor to moderate today's session. It is an important meeting that International Idea has organized on the occasion of its 25th anniversary celebration. And we have the great pleasure to have with us key speakers who may also look into the linkages between our 25th birthday and the 75th birthday of the United Nations. And the first speaker with us is His Excellency Volkan Boskyr, the President of the General Assembly. Mr. President, you are the floor. Thank you very much, Ms. Anlinde, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates. Thank you for your kind introduction, Mr. Tomasoli, and for the opportunity to join you to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Institute for Democracy and Electrical Assistance. As you're no doubt aware, there is another important anniversary this year. The United Nations is 75 years old. This has prompted a great deal of reflection within the multilateral system. Indeed, the theme of the commemoration is the future we want and the UN we need. So as Member States made clear in the declaration on the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the UN, there is no other global organization with the legitimacy, convening power and normative impact as the United Nations. And no other global organization gives hope to so many people for a better world. I therefore expect that Member States will remain committed to this organization and will employ it to pursue advancements across the three pillars that the UN was founded on, which are peace and security, development, and human rights. These three pillars are equally important, interrelated and interdependent, and one cannot advance without the other. Excellencies. Democracy is a core value of the United Nations. The opening words of the Charter, We the Peoples, reflects the fundamental principle of democracy, that the will of the people is the source of legitimacy of sovereign states, and therefore the United Nations as a whole. Since the UN Charter was signed 75 years ago, the UN has promoted good governance, monitored elections, supported civil society to strengthen democratic institutions and accountability, ensued self-determination in decolonized countries, and assisted with the drafting of new constitutions in post-conflict nations. The United Nations does not advocate for a specific model of government, but promotes democratic governance as a set of values and principles that should be followed for greater participation, equalities, security, and human development. These values are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It projects the concept of democracy by stating the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government. And the international covenant on civil and political rights develops them even further and lays down the legal basis for the principles of democracy and international law. It covers, for instance, freedom of expression, the right of peaceful assembly, and the right to freedom of association with others. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of life, not least democracies and key democratic processes, such as elections. We must ensure that the policies we implement to combat the pandemic does not undermine the democratic institutions that underpin the long-term health of our economies and societies. And we must ensure that recovery efforts are built on democratic principles, empowering citizens whenever and wherever possible in building the future they want. Democracy provides an environment that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in which the freely expressed will of people is exercised. People have a say in decisions and can hold decision makers to account. Women and men have equal rights, and all people are free from discrimination. As recognized in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, adopted in 1979, the right to vote and stand in elections is crucial to eliminate discrimination and support political participation. This is vital, not just for women, but across vulnerable groups. Parliamentarians who directly represent their constituents can have a deep impact on the health of our democracies, and I welcome the efforts to strengthen parliaments, ensuring inclusion and representation. This approach will only serve to strengthen our institutions. Organizations that fail to address the expectations of their constituents are doomed to failure. Furthermore, they lose trust and respect if commitments are not in line with the needs or the actions are not effective, and they fail when commitments made do not become realities. Cities and local governments are often much closer to those we serve than national governments and sometimes are the best avenue for people to express their preferences and views. We must continue to invest in these institutions, as well as those at a national level. Youth also have a pivotal role to play to strengthen democratic systems. They are future generations. Their engagement matters. Their foresight on issues such as climate change has proved invaluable and their energy can create lasting and sustainable change for the better. The independent press plays a critical role in a healthy democracy. The free press informs, investigates and ultimately enables constituents to hold elected officials to account. However, media can also be manipulated and used to sue disinformation and undermine our democracies. We must work closely in order to protect journalists and media workers, so they continue to inform and educate. Excellencies enabling strengthening and protecting democracy requires sustained effort. We must strengthen our democratic mechanisms to ensure the legitimacy of these institutions are upheld. We must lead by example and through our own actions, demonstrate the value of the democratic system. We must engage all elements of our societies, so they do not lose faith in the institutions. We have to build to serve them. I warmly welcome all efforts to those ends and congratulate the 25th anniversary of India. Thank you very much for having me in this very important meeting. I'm looking forward to join you in further meetings. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your exciting for your tight full remarks. This is the best way of opening today's event. I'm now giving the floor to the Secretary General of International India, His Excellency Kevin Kazasamura. Thank you, dear Massimo, and good afternoon to you all. Excellencies, honor guests, members, state representatives, partners, colleagues, and friends. I want to welcome you to International India's 25th anniversary conference. We are here today to celebrate our achievements, but most of all, to launch a conversation about the future of democracy and the role of international. I would like to thank all the speakers that have accepted to be part of this global conversation. Our member states, and especially our current chair and host country, Sweden, which has made democracy a priority of its foreign policy. 25 years ago, 14 countries signed the Founding Declaration of International India. In 1995, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the first post-apartheid election in South Africa, and the spread of democracy all over Latin America made the expansion of democracy seem irresistible and irreversible. However, the founders of our institute understood that the progress of democracy was not inevitable. They understood that they had a collective responsibility to nurture it, protect it, and advance it. They understood the need for multilateral action and support. They understood the need for comparative knowledge about the fundamentals of democracy, about elections, constitutions, and political participation. Those insights have defined our mission ever since. Today, International Idea encompasses 33 member states from all regions. In the past 25 years, we have played a decisive role in activating regional and global networks of practitioners and activists. We have contributed through publications, databases, events, and advice to global debates, regional collaborations, and national elections. We have supported dozens of electoral, constitutional, and political reform processes all over the world, where our evidence-based advice has made a difference to our partners on the ground. It is a record that our member states, our donors, and partners, and our wonderfully talented staff can be proud of, and we are proud, but not satisfied. The challenges to democracy are greater today than they were in 1995. Democracy was facing severe headwinds even before the COVID-19 pandemic. From our Global State of Democracy report, we know that while the number of democracies kept increasing, the quality of democracy was decreasing. In many democracies, checks and balances were becoming weaker, civic spaces were shrinking, and freedom of expression was under sustained assault. These challenges have been accentuated by the pandemic. Over the past few months, we have seen many cases where emergency powers have been involved to do things that have nothing to do with the pandemic and everything to do with the intention of shutting down critical voices, limiting civic spaces, and harassing them. And there are also the problematic political consequences that stem from the global economic crisis, which are only now beginning to be fair. If there is a moment to monitor the health of democratic systems, it is now. And this is precisely what International Idea has been doing through our Global State of Democracy report. And more recently, through our global monitor on the impact of COVID-19 on democracy and human rights supported by the European Union, we need trustworthy information on democracy more than ever. Yet, these times also demand that we use our voice in defense of democracy. Last June, together with our partners from around the world, we launched a call to defend democracy, where we argued that the pandemic threatens the future of liberal democracy. This open letter enlisted the support of over 70 pro-democracy organizations and more than 500 global leaders. This is the task in our hands. We must build the global coalitions needed to protect democracy, but we must also strive to revitalize it. Now is the time to help democracies return to the drawing board and renegotiate their social contract. Now is the time to act against the spread of this information, an existential threat for democracy. Now is the time to protect the ability of democracies to hold free, fair, and safe elections. Now is the time to discuss how best to equip democracy to tackle intergenerational challenges, such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Sustainable Development Goals, and especially the climate crisis. Above all, now is the time to be unapologetic in defense of democratic values. The good news is that the case for democracy remains strong. To a much greater degree than any other system, democracy protects our agency and inherent dignity, allows for the correction of policies, and makes a real difference for key tenants of sustainable development, particularly for gender equality. Sustainable development requires sustainable development, making sure that democracy can reform and revitalize itself is the cause that international idea pledges to take forward for the next 25 years. We will do this by teasing out the lessons from democratic experience from all over the world, by leveraging that knowledge and putting it in the hands of leaders and activists, by continuously monitoring the health of political systems, by accompanying democracy building processes and lending our impartial and evidence-based advice, by building regional and global coalitions of practitioners, activists, and academics, by speaking out in defense of democratic values, by insisting that democracy is a global public good that requires multilateral action, by working closely with member states and our supporting partners. This is our pledge to you. It is a pledge infused with the hope that the sacrifices made by millions of people in the quest for democracy from Soweto to Santiago, from Prague to Jakarta, from Yangon to Hartoom, from Hong Kong to Minsk will have not been in vain. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that the memory of those struggles to advance the democratic cause is honored and preserved for generations to come. That is the challenge of our time and we at International Idea intend to meet it in full. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Kevin, for your remarks. I have now the honor to introduce the pre-recorded video statement of her Excellency, Ms Ann Linde, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, which is the Chair of International Idea's Council of Member States for 2020. Twenty-five years ago, representatives of 14 countries met here in Stockholm for the first council meeting of the newly founded International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance or International Idea. Following the developments around 1990, countries needed an international forum to exchange and learn from others how to shape their form of democracy. Because democracy cannot be exported, it has to grow from within a society. But there are lessons to be learned and experiences to be drawn and the International Idea was to be the place for countries to do just that. International Idea has faced a chair of challenges but is today steadily forging its role as a center of excellence for the advancements of democracy worldwide as a universal human aspiration and an enabler of sustainable development through supporting the building, strengthening and safeguarding of democratic political institutions and processes, quoting from its mission statement. While the conviction that democracy was the way forward seemed to be uncontested in the 1990s, things have since changed. Democratic backsliding, challenges to human rights and the undermining of the rule of law are trends we have witnessed for several years. Idea's Global State of Democracy report, a reference point when it comes to monitoring the development of democracy around the world, provides an invaluable evidence base in this regard. The most recent addition to Idea's toolbox, the Global Monitor of COVID-19's impact on democracy and human rights, clearly shows how this negative global trend has been further accentuated the pandemic. Dear friends, we need to act against and formulate a counter narrative to these negative trends. We know that authoritarianism is not the answer to today's challenges. We are as convinced today, as we were in 1995, that democracy is the best form of governance for stability and development, but we need to make the case again. Democracy provides political accountability and therefore a mechanism to correct mistakes and do better. Democracy ensures transparency and access to information, without which there can be no progress. While the fear of COVID-19 has understandably triggered dramatic measures, we need to remain vigilant. The current pandemic must not be allowed to become an excuse for governmental overreach to undermine democracy or its institutions. It takes times, sometimes generations, to build up stable and impartial democratic institutions, but they can be dismantled very quickly. Any limitations to the enjoyment of human rights must be in accordance with international law. The response to the pandemic must be based on gender equality, human rights, democracy and the rule of law, because only that can ensure the confidence and credibility in societies to make it sustainable. Democracy allows for civil society to mobilize for inequalities to be confronted for policy issues to be openly debated, for trustworthy information to freely flow, and governments to be accountable to citizens. All essential tools for successfully dealing with the current public health, emergency and its consequences. Precisely for this purpose, the Swedish government last year initiated the campaign Drive for Democracy. Through diplomatic activity and a series of events and democracy talks, it aims to promote and strengthen democracy and the aspects that in our view must be part of a sustainable democracy. Equality, participation, sustainable development, inclusive growth, governance, human rights and security. We have particularly focused on supporting civil society actors, human rights defenders and trade union leaders as their role is central to upholding democracy and holding governments to account. This includes strengthening free and independent media and the safety of journalists and media workers. But we must also build global coalitions. In connection with this year's virtual United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting, we launch as a follow-up to our Drive for Democracy a cross-regional partnership together with a core group of countries called the Friends in Defense of Democracy. With two exceptions, the countries in this partnership are also members of International IDEA and the IC IDEA and its member state as a platform and partner in this continued struggle of narratives. Dear friends, Sweden is proud to be an initiator, founding member, host country and this year's chair of the Council of Member States of International IDEA. And I want to congratulate its current Secretary-General, Mr. Casa Samora and all its dedicated staff around the world on this special occasion. The current circumstances show the absolute necessity of multilateralism and the continued pursuit of rules-based international order. International IDEA will continue to be a central partner in this work and we look forward to the next 25 years of democracy promotion. I thank you very much for her excellency, Ms. Ann Linde for her speech on behalf of Sweden. And I would like also to thank all the speakers of this opening segment of today's event, in particular the President or the General Assembly whom I know is particularly busy at this time of the year and still found the possibility of carving out the time for participating in this launch of our 25th anniversary. He will need to leave the meeting for other engagements, so I thank you very much for your participation. And I wish to thank also my Secretary-General, Kevin Casa Samora, as you may be aware, this is part of a 24-hour marathon that is taking place around the globe and around the clock. And so Kevin has been particularly busy today in addressing a series of such events organized by the Regional Offices of International IDEA, which will culminate in a conference in Stockholm that will be organized tomorrow. So thank you very much, Kevin, for your participation live in today's event. Now we are entering into the second segment of our meeting of today. I mentioned that there is a series of meetings around the world. Each meeting has a particular angle to look at the same issue. The broader theme that we choose for our celebration is democracy now and next. But in the context of New York, the multilateral landscape that is represented in particular by the United Nations, we decided to focus our panel discussion on the following theme, multilateral action for democracy assistance, assessing the path, defining the future. And for doing so, we have three panelists. The first panelist is Mr. Fabrizio Oxchild, Undersecretary-General and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the UN on the commemoration of the UN 75th anniversary. So Fabrizio, you have the floor. Massimo, thank you very much. And I do hope you're getting some sleep if this is a 24-hour event, although we realize promoting democracy is a 24-7 task. Look, I'd like to first say what an honor it is to be on the panel with such distinguished fellow members. And thank you for this invitation to join your anniversary with you. I followed the work of idea almost since its beginnings. I'm a big admirer of what you've achieved in so many places. I think it's quite fitting that we're celebrating our anniversaries at the same time. And of course, anniversaries, and I think Kevin did that very well, are a good opportunity for some self-reflection. You know, in light of the poor state of our world with growing international challenges and diminishing will for international cooperation, the Secretary-General chose to mark the UN 75th anniversary in a way that is being quite different from any previous anniversary. As the United Nations, of course, we don't have an electoral system where our senior officials subject periodically to be accountable to voters who can vote them out of office. So we did the next best thing. We started a global conversation around what people wanted from the future and what their expectations were of international cooperation. So through a whole variety of means, we reached out to people around four questions. What are your priorities for post-COVID recovery? What are your priorities for the world 25 years from now? What do you see as the biggest threats to the realization of the vision you'd like to see for the world 25 years from now? And what are your expectations of international cooperation, and if the UN in particular, to address those threats and to deliver better on your aspirations? We got feedback from 3,000 dialogues in over 100 countries from almost 1.5 million responses in all 193 member states to a mini-survey and also from tens of thousands of responses from professional commission, scientific and independent surveys. The first finding that for me was very striking is that people, unlike the states that sometimes represent them, are remarkably united in their aspirations for the future, united in their fears, and united in their expectations of international cooperation. Amidst the current COVID crisis, the immediate priority for most people everywhere is improved access to basic services, affordable health care, safe water and sanitation and education. The second major priority in the aftermath of COVID is greater international solidarity, more help to those hardest hit by the community, and that also includes demand for less inequality and less corruption. Looking to the future, the overwhelming concern is related to the climate crisis and the destruction of our natural environment, and then other priorities looking to the future, less conflict and better respect for human rights. With regard to the perceptions of international cooperation and of the UN, over 87% of respondents believe global cooperation is more vital than ever. As the minister said, with COVID people believe multilateralism and international cooperation is more necessary than ever. Now against the backdrop of this exercise, our own sort of accountability, if you like, democratic exercise, I want to share four very personal observations, and I'm speaking now as Fabrizio, not representing my institution, and certainly not representing the Secretary General, related, four observations related to the work of idea. The first point is the role of elections as a component of democracy assistance. And when I think back, you know, against the backdrop of our survey, but also against the backdrop of the places I've worked, and I've spent a lot of my career in delicate conflict or post-conflict countries, I worked in Timor-Leste 20 years ago, just after the referendum in Kosovo, just after the NATO invasion, I've worked in Bosnia, Burundi, the Central African Republic quite recently. In many of these places, the work of the UN was focused on supporting electoral processes and conducting good elections was seen as a major success marker for UN missions. And while I think this is very understandable and desirable, from the point of view establishing legitimate power holders, I think we have to constantly recall its book one required component to build strong and resilient societies. Now in Timor-Leste, I was there with the first UN mission, and we speeded towards very good, free and fair elections, and then we left as quickly as we could. And of course, very soon after conflict broke out again, and at great cost, the international community had to deploy another peacekeeping mission. In the Central African Republic, the UN helped the country after the 2013 civil war that could have easily slipped into a genocide, also to conduct elections, and they were considered among the freest and fairest elections held in the continent that year. But it also became very quickly apparent that it was no magic wand. The country continued and continues to face low intensity or medium intensity conflict, and a fundamental lack of the basic services that is our survey showed is what most matters to most people everywhere, access to health, to education and other government services. I think what this shows is as important as it is to have elected governments, to have an elected government without government services, doesn't necessarily help democracy, and that governments are there to serve the needs of the people, not simply to be elected office holders. And that is essential to really embed the legitimacy of any government beyond an election, that provision of essential state services. A second point I want to talk about is timelines. What is increasingly clear with the challenges we face today is that we lack a multi-generational long term view. I think it existed with the founders of the UN who spoke about and thought about succeeding generations at the height of a war which they weren't sure they'd won. But that has been lost, and it's partially lost because if you're a businessman, you're trained to think about your shareholders and delivering results in the next quarter. If you're a politician, you're trained to think about what you're going to achieve in the next one to five years for your electors. And that means that we lose sight of the damage we're doing to our planet, of climate change, of environmental damage, of growing inequalities, and other things that are not measured in quarterly profit measurements or in monthly polls of popularity. Imagine, let's just pause and imagine for one moment if politicians were elected not by the electorate of today, but the electorate of 30 years from now. And as science fiction-like as that may sound, I believe it would lead to a completely different and arguably much saner set of decisions by our leaders and certainly probably much greater unity and common sense of purpose. Of course, that's impossible, but how do we get back in to our democracies, a sense of accountability, not just to today's populace, but to voters and especially young people of the future. My third observation is that sitting here in New York at the UN, we see a huge amount of fragmentation and division very different from what we're hearing through our global outreach. And much of this competition and division is hugely amplified by social media, which is designed, and there's more and more evidence of this, to amplify polarizing and sensational and addictive content because the aim of the companies is to keep you hooked in order to expose you to more advertising, etc. But what we're seeing from our global outreach is that beneath all this noise and division and fighting and screaming and hate, there is a huge amount of unity among people. And that is the challenge. How do we get back beyond the politics of the moment to that unity and those common aspirations? Because the sustainability of our future depends on it. And my fourth and last point is related, and that is that even in the most democratized countries, with a long tradition of rule of law, the free flow of hate speech and radical views can lead to outcomes of democratic processes that are deeply undemocratic and that undermine the very institutions that brought them to power. I mean, I don't need to cite examples. I think we can all imagine the examples that are out there. And of course, part of that comes with a sort of disenchantment with what's seen as an excess of globalization and a loss of identity that goes with it. But I think we also have to reflect on this and find ways to better address it. So that, as I say, from a very personal point of view is some personal reflections on some of the challenges we face, all of us who care about the future and who care about democracy and ensuring that all of us can continue to work with accountability to citizens of the world, not just those living now, but also those who come after us. Thank you. Thank you very much, Fabrizio. And first of all, I want to reassure you, I'm not alone in this marathon. So I'm enjoying a relatively good amount of sleep in these days anyway. But I really want to welcome your remarks because you pointed that some of the key issues that actually international idea through the Office of the Permanent Observer is analyzing. We are carrying out a actually a research program on UN and democracy building. And it addresses exactly the issues that you raised. The need to look at some components of democracy assistance as a whole, not simply as a silos, as you might have happened, for example, as you said, with electoral assistance, the need to have democratic institutions that deliver that not only function as shells of democratic processes, but they deliver on development, on human rights, on peace. The reconciliation of the different short and longer term perspectives that so many times are lost in our somewhat bureaucratic world sometimes in this big bubble that the multilateral institutions may be seen especially from the outside as and then the fragmentation and division and the polarization and eventually the also risks of democracies because democracy is not a static condition. And we always have to stand up to defend it. And the next speaker is actually going to address some of these issues is Professor Timothy Seas with accidentally one of the contributors to the research project that I just described is Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Joseph Corbill School of International Studies at the University of Denver. So, Tim, you had the floor. Well, thank you very much, Dr. Tomasoli, a possible for the kind introduction and welcome, Madam Foreign Minister, excellencies and friends. I'm very pleased to appear on the panel today with such distinguished co-panelists to celebrate the 25th anniversary of international idea and the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. And as a scholar and academic, it's especially nice to be here on the virtual table with really the leading global professionals and our most able practitioners on these issues. I was very pleased to have been involved in idea from really from the very beginning back in the 1990s. I took a look back at what was going on in 1995. One of the things going on was that Bill Gates launched a Windows 95 and we can see how long in our collective experience that may have been. And I think Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was first lady at the time. So, things have evolved a lot in the last 25 years, but many of the issues that were on the table and as was mentioned by the Secretary General, idea created in the immediate post-Cold War era. And many of those issues today are still the ones with which we're grappling, the issues of inclusivity and the sharing of power, of the meaningfulness of local democracies, electoral processes with integrity, and trying to marry these kind of twin principles of the United Nations around conflict prevention and the expansion of democracy. So, I remember those days very fondly. And of course, I remember very much the common quip from the very first Secretary General of International Idea, Ambassador Bank de Silva Söderberg, who was very fond of saying there may be instant coffee, but there's not instant democracy. And so 25 years later, we're still working toward building democracy. In my remarks today, I'd like to do as suggested with this panel. I'd like to both look forward at some of the key challenges and issues for democracy, some of which have been already nicely articulated by my co-panelists, and to also look back at some of the work of International Idea and how this work over the last 25 years continues to inform options, innovations, adaptations toward more meaningful democracy. I'd like to submit that there are really two issues in the current era on which we must be focused going forward. The first is reimagining democracy, that democracy often has evolved in its practice and institutions. And yet, there comes a moment when we need to reconcile these processes and institutions with the evolution of society and the evolution of countries around the world. So, I think it's a moment to reimagine what democracy means and how it's practiced. And second, as Under Secretary General Herschel mentioned, I think very poignantly, is the need to counter a social polarization. And on the flip side of that, to strengthen social cohesion, so that the underlying basis of democracy can be more meaningful and sustainable. What I'd like to do in the balance of my remarks is address the question, a critical question of how the United Nations as a multilateral institution can contribute to these twin urgencies of the 21st century, again, reimagining democracy and strengthening social cohesion. As an academic, I've been on the research to policy frontier on these issues. And I'd like to offer in this intervention four propositions that inform our kind of Janus-based look back and look forward at the experiences of the United Nations and of international idea in building democracies. Proposition number one, as was suggested by several of our speakers, and I think is worn out in both scholarly research and then the global state of democracy monitoring of conditions around the world, is that global trends have been steadily worsening in three critical areas that are essential to the future of democracy and governments. Rights and freedoms and particularly the rights and advocacy role of civil society is on the brink. As Secretary General of the United Nations, Senator Antonio Guterres has remarked again and again, nationalism, hate speech, xenophobia, stigmatization, societal distrust. This is what the Secretary General has referred to as a virus of hate, a tsunami of hate around the world. And as was suggested by the previous speaker, the underlying drivers of climate change, of disruption, economic, social disruption, created conditions for populist and ethnic narratives of difference and intolerance to gain appeal around the world. A democracy has declined from a majority of UN member states in 2009 to less than a majority in 2019, according to the varieties of democracy project which informs in some ways the global state of democracy indices. And secondly, we see in key world regions that the decline of democracy is palpable. In Eastern and Central Europe, for example, the levels of the quality of democracy have declined to mid-1990s levels, and so too in Latin America. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report some time ago, a month or two ago, identifying 50 country contexts in which civil society defenders of human rights have been subject to repression. And the Committee of Protection of Journalists noted in 2019, 38 journalists murdered around the world, including one just this past week in the news. So ideas contribution to look at these trends I think is very strong. We see, as has been mentioned, the more recent work, the 2017 Global State of Democracy report, which I was very pleased to have been involved with the very first rate colleagues at International IDEA, and more broadly the state of democracy frameworks. 2017, the key finding was that there was uncertainty about this global trend. And now in 2019, we see much less uncertainty about it. We move from trendless fluctuation in the levels of democracy around the world to clear trends toward autocratization. So IDEA gives us a sober and evidence-driven baseline backed by the very best standards of scholarly rigor and peer-reviewed assessment of often very sensitive indicators on the quality of democracy and governance. And through the state of democracy assessment tools and frameworks, United Nations practitioners have at their disposable valid and reliable measures for understanding country context and working with national counterparts on the exploration of democracy's challenges. So the trend lines are unfortunately in the wrong direction as much as we see that the effect of the pandemic, much like at the end of World War II, may galvanize a renewed international response. The second proposition is that many countries are in need of institutional reform to improve their democracies, but they lack a pathway forward to doing so. We see that in many cases, institutions were created as the result of political settlements in the past. And yet society moves on, the world moves on, whether political settlements were reached in the mid-1990s as many were 20 years ago, or in the case of the United States some 200 years ago, we see that many political institutions are no longer suited to the challenges I mentioned above. Whether these political settlements were the result of negotiation, such as the 1995 Daytona Court in Bosnia-Herzegovina, or through a mostly internal process like the 1996 South African Constitution, or through international non-governmental mediation, such as the peace agreement in Mozambique, we see that in each of these contexts, there is a sort of obsolescence of these political institutions over time in the need to consider post-settlement settlements. Moreover, as we look at the conflicts that rage around the world today from Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, or Syria, eventually we know that the exit strategy of such conflicts is often through a democratization process. And then even in many established democracies, such as the United States, we see that institutions have lived on past their sell-by dates. The Washington Post editorial board called this past Sunday for the abolition of the Electoral College in the United States, which is the arcane mechanism that led to a minority rule in the United States, a democratically elected minority rule under the Trump administration. And this system seems still suited as the editors of the Washington Post identified for the contemporary era. So, I do have been working in this for 25 years. I was very pleased to have been involved with the democracy in deep-rooted conflicts handbook, which came out in 1998 on all kinds of options for institutional design of democracy. And for helping societies and negotiators make good choices about inclusive, accountable political institutions. And the United Nations is what we see through the work of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Office of Country Offices, and through political missions. I've been very involved in helping societies think through ways to reform their institutions. I'd say that the most important aspect of this as well in terms of trying to think through new avenues of institutional reform has been the work of the Permanent Observer's Office in New York there to put to governance not just on the table as a matter of inclusion, conflict management, but also, as was mentioned, a service delivery, the 2006 idea handbook on democracy, conflict and human security pointed out that democracy requires livelihoods, access to justice, personal security, human security, development. And these are reflected in the goals and aims of SDG 16, which the Permanent Observer's Office was absolutely essential in realizing in the SDGs. We might keep in mind that the Millennium Development Goals did not include a very specific governance target or indicator beyond the expansion of women's participation. And this normative framework about democracy not just being institutions, but needing to deliver is critical. Proposition number three echoes very much what Secretary General Hullschild mentioned about elections, that we see today's new cycle of often extremely violently conflicted societies and social polarization going into electoral processes or when conflict erupts in the wake of election processes. From Belarus to Chile to Cote d'Ivoire, Tanzania and Peru have all made global headlines around turbulent elections in recent weeks. And we see already on the horizon elections in their Britina Faso as well. We know that electoral processes reside between voice of the electorate and vulnerabilities to violence. And this is a most important area where international idea has I think done exceptional work. I'll mention two areas of international ideas work on elections. The first is the kind of arcane world of election systems designed. And the question is most important because how the election is designed in terms of the system depends on how the election game is played and who wins or who does not win in an election. And so ideas work on just putting out there the full range of electoral systems and what their benefits are, what the disadvantages are, what the factors are, what is the sort of goal of the electoral system is absolutely critical. And I dare say is the United States thinks hopefully beyond the electoral college that the electoral system design handbook should be required reading for many of our policymakers. And the other aspect that I would mention is the electoral risk management tool that international idea has developed that looks both at the internal dynamics of an election and the external environment to identify risks and to engage in effective public prevention. My fourth point and in conclusion, the fourth proposition is very much as what's just suggested at the very beginning of our session today from the President of the General Assembly. And that is that democracy and its most important implications for peace and development are typically found at the local level. A strong democracy at the local level is critical to address these twin challenges that I mentioned, reimagining democracy, strengthening social cohesion. One of the most overlooked elements in social polarization, which is again that virus of hate that Secretary General has identified, is the sort of changing local environments that we see around rapid urbanization, growing cities and mega cities, the strong effects of world's urban migration and international migration. Democracy has been challenged at the local level and this has made more so as was suggested by often we see policy incoherence at the national level. The UN estimated just about two months ago that the COVID-19 pandemic would push 42 million women and girls into extreme poverty. The Secretary General's report on youth peace and security indicates the high vulnerabilities of youth around the world. And it's through local level action that these issues will be more effectively addressed. Ideas work in local democracy began very early. Again, I was pleased to be involved in the 2001 democracy at the local level handbook, which evolved into what is I think the gold standard internationally, which is the state of local democracy assessment framework that allows individuals to go in and assess their quality of their own local democracy. So in conclusion, I would say that there are no bigger 21st challenges to supporting democracy than addressing these drivers and manifestations of social polarization. The sad reality is a virus that hate around the world and the Secretary General's agenda for combating hate speech mesh as well with very practical guidance such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Guide on Sport for Social Protection and UN OVC's recent guide on strengthening social cohesion, preventing violent extremism through sport. I mention these because social cohesion is the long term strategic imperative and it pairs well both these imperatives of democracy building and of the main areas of work of the United Nations and development and human rights. So very pleased to have worked on the UNDP report that appeared in March of this year on strengthening social cohesion. And although I don't have the time to give into the details of that report, the chat feature on this webinar today will include a link to it. To conclude my conclusion by saying that social cohesion, societal trust, daily interactions of an economic and social justice, peaceful societies with human security, is the critical challenge of democracy building as we look forward, fostering inclusive national narratives, proliferating dialogues, sustaining networks of women and youth and infrastructures for peace, and addressing the underlying imbalances and fears that give rise to social polarization are the imperatives. So the surprising trends of the first proposition on worsening global conditions leads me to a very simple conclusion. The next 25 years of work by international idea will be even more important than its pathbreaking and landmark work in the last 25 years. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Ima. Well, you cover the broad range of issues and I want first of all to thank Francisco Orschild. He had to leave his panel for another engagement at this time, but I think that your two interventions were actually very interesting in power because they were issues raised on the perception side on one hand and you reviewed some of the most striking evidence that social research has shown in order to respond to the issues raised by him in his intervention. And now we have the third and last panelist. Last but not least, my good friend and the chair of the board of advisors of international idea, that means Emin Boskurt. I would like to say that after her intervention, there will be a Q&A session and already we have Bangladesh who wanted to take the floor. Those of you interested in posting their questions may use the chat function or may request the floor for making an intervention briefly at the end of Emin's presentation. So Emin Boskurt, chair of the board of advisors of international idea, Emin, you have the floor. Thank you Massimo. Good evening everybody, distinguished guests. First of all, congratulations to international idea for 25 years of service and dedication to global democracy. At the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations held in September, heads of state and government confirmed their collective commitment to the promotion of respect for democracy and human rights and the enhancement of democratic governance and the role of law by strengthening transparent and accountable governance and independent judicial institutions. As we celebrate today the 25th anniversary of the establishment of international idea, it is important to stress that those values and ideals are at the core of the partnership between the UN and international idea. Ideas close links with the UN are part of a global trend that has led the UN to open its space to new actors. At the establishment of the UN in 1945, its conference halls were populated by member states. Today, a wide range of stakeholders engaged in a constructive dialogue with member states. Those are intergovernmental organizations, civil society, private sector, academic institutions, think tanks and other partners have engaged in a constant conversation on global priorities, agendas and strategies. Their engagement has contributed to addressing new and emerging challenges, sharing experiences and practices and strengthening partnerships on the ground for the implementation of global agendas. Democracy also not explicitly mentioned in the UN charter is a key principle at the core of UN work. For example, UN's engagement in peace and security issues attributes great importance to key elements of democracy and therefore invests in democracy building when it supports both peace building through electoral processes and the strengthening of democratic institutions and processes in post conflict settings. Democratic governments has become over time a fundamental dimension of the UN's work on sustainable development. Civil and political rights and the full integration of all human rights including social, economic and cultural rights are the building blocks of any democratic regime. Their denial is associated with serious threats to the peace and security both within and among countries and it weakens the political sustainability of any development efforts. At a critical time for the future of multilateralism and despite the sensitivity of the issue for a part of its membership the commitment of the UN to democracy building is increasingly important. International idea is convinced that it is indeed essential for the pursuance of the UN's mandates to support the three pillars of its work peace and security, human rights and development. Democratic governance is proving a critical factor for national and global responses to the pandemic crisis. COVID-19 has exposed strengths and weaknesses nationally and globally ranging from healthcare and other basic surface infrastructures, state capacity and crisis management to information integrity. Everywhere the virus has demonstrated the importance of transparent, competent and effective governance as well as public trust in the state. This does present an opportunity to address the flaws the virus has brought to the surface. Clearly there is a need to revisit election legislation and relevant constitutional provisions to set clear procedures in the case of a crisis as well as to upgrade election management and explore innovation, for instance mail-in online and countries may require expertise in this regard. The crisis also exposed deep inequalities in society, weakness or even lack of social safety nets and unemployment protections for majorities of the workforce, absence of universal healthcare coverage making some much more vulnerable than others in the crisis. It is an opportunity to rebuild the social contract between government and citizens ensuring that democracies deliver. This could include technical assistance to support greater public participation and policy deliberations and setting budget priorities as well as methods for bolstering institutions' agility to response to economic development like public accounts committees, parliamentary budget offices or mechanisms to anchor civic advocacy campaigns around budget cycles, to provide citizen input on formulation and oversight or openness governance principles requiring inclusive participatory practices in setting priorities and party renewal and economic issue engagement. As for other global crisis the impact of the COVID-19 is shaped by and reinforces inequalities in societies. First and foremost gender equality as shown by for example by the worrying trends in violence against women at the time and protection and coping mechanisms have been significantly undermined by the emergency provisions adopted for containing the virus. Looking at the crisis to the lens of democratic governance and gender may help address some of the structural problems that because of their impact on the agency of different actors in the society affect at times of crisis their coping strategies and resilience. Also the crisis reveals an important opportunity to strengthen community resilience including mechanisms to build social movements particularly those representing marginalized populations to advocate for their policy priorities. Finally more can be done to develop more robust oversight mechanisms and processes to protect overstepping exposed by the virus with tools that address marginalized communities like thematic inquiries and impact assessments and successful citizen participation in oversight. Let me reiterate that in the current crisis political systems are under stress too. The pandemic has exacerbated processes and conditions that already affected peace and conflict dynamics in the world. The fragility of institutional responses in many countries has increased vulnerability to the pandemic and its consequences. While the COVID-19 emergency is unfolding the erosion of multilateralism is impacting on the implementation of global agendas that were adopted through consensus before the crisis. At the time when our political systems social protection infrastructures health and educational service as well as our economies are under unprecedented stress the dire need for effective multilateral action and international cooperation emergence in all its urgency. To enable these global efforts should focus on revitalizing and recovering our socioeconomic models. Multilateral organizations have a role to promote and ensure the quality of governance responses which will have a lasting impact on societal resilience to the pandemic by ensuring sustainable effective and inclusive recovery beyond the pandemic. The call to defend democracy as our secretary general Kevin Casas Zamora already mentioned in his speech highlighted the urgency of grounding national responses to the pandemic in the solid foundations of effective democratic institutions and processes. We also need to speak up in defense of democracy similar to what we try to achieve with the call but also build coalitions of organizations states universities etc that can provide a protective network for democracy. We envisage the pillars of a new global consensus that should guide future action which can be supported by effective and efficient multilateral action and that includes firstly building a new social contract focused on reducing inequality including gender inequalities leaving no one behind especially the most vulnerable ones and investing in health education job creation and social protection. Secondly strengthening the institutions of democratic governance and the rule of law and enhancing accountability and transparency mechanisms and rebuilding public trust in state institutions. Thirdly strengthening parliamentary institutions and political party systems deepening deliberative processes and defending spaces for public dialogue and civic participation. Four investing in technological innovation inclusive digitalization and network network infrastructures to engage all stakeholders and actors whose contributions will be indispensable for the success of recovery efforts and lastly shaping the recovery actions so as to cope with the impending challenges of climate change and sustainable development through renewed international commitment to the implementation of the 2030 agenda. Thank you for your attention. Thank you a lot. I mean this has been a striking integration actually in conclusion to the panel because you provided us with the roadmap of what could be done vis-à-vis the pandemic crisis and the challenges that it has posed to us. Now we have some time about 15 minutes for some interaction with the audience. Let me reiterate that you can post questions in the chat function for those who participate on Webex and those who are watching the event on YouTube but can also post questions on the chat function on YouTube and my colleagues will relay those questions to me. As I said there was already a request for an intervention that is Minister Mahmoud from the permanent mission of Bangladesh so minister you have the floor. May you start again I think you were muted accidentally at the beginning of your. Okay so can you hear me now? Yes thank you. Okay thank you thank you. Thank you for giving me the floor. I thank the international idea on two counts on the occasion of its 25th anniversary and for organizing today's conversation. While multilateral institutions such as international idea can play vital advisory role in strengthening democracy it is important to recognize that such roles can bring sustainable results only when they support and complement the efforts of the national governments. We believe in supporting governance issues including electoral processes the multilateral institutions are required to base their engagements on the principles of inclusivity and non-discrimination taking into account the interests of most vulnerable people who often are left behind by the state machinery itself. Recently we have noticed the association of international idea in the development of election app in Myanmar which allegedly had used misleading terms to refer to the Rohingyas and have also inflamed nationalism. This is indeed unfortunate and damaging for the credibility of multilateral organizations like international idea whose role are critical in promoting democracy and inclusion. We feel it urgent for all of us to take lessons from these incidents and invest more on the principles of engagement that I mentioned before by the multilateral organizations in the building of democracies around the world. I thank you again for organizing this session. Thank you moderator for giving me the floor. Thank you. Thank you very much minister Osain for your comments and your recalling a specific case that is well known in your part of the world and of course it has resonated also in other regions and I'm ready to provide an answer to that but I want also to say that there are two other questions that come from the chart function so I would give them also the opportunity to raise the issues and perhaps for the sake of saving time I will just read them and then we can go back to the panelists and I will provide a specific answer to your question which I think was not addressed to the panel actually but probably more to me. Thank you minister. Now the second question comes from Tariq Khan and it's a general question about whether the role of idea includes addressing corruption in Europe and the US and he says absence of any attention to all of these will have a disproportionately negative effect on the credibility of ideas efforts so that was Tariq Khan's question and then another question is from Shanti Baker how does international idea work with the billionaires on earth to encourage care including meaningful work for our poor and disenfranchised global citizens so these are the three questions on the floor we have 10 minutes before closing our meeting so perhaps I'll give time to think about the two questions addressed to the panel to Tim Sisk and Emin Boskurt and meanwhile I'll I'll get back to the question raised by minister Mahmood or the permission of Bangladesh he referred to a specific case that refers to a project carried out by international idea in Myanmar and actually as we explained in our website and with letters addressed to networks of NGOs that raised a similar issue we actually did not fund the application that was used in connection with the elections but we contributed some minor inputs into the launch of these applications by the institution that developed the problem with the app is that it used the data that were developed and especially the categories on which the data were based were developed by the Myanmar election commission and we made it very clear that ideas support to electoral processes is based firmly on principles on non-discrimination and this is absolutely something that should be reflected in all the activities that we are supporting and we also provided explanation as to the misunderstanding that led to the perception of the association of international idea with the actual design and development of that app and we certainly consider that the criteria used in some cases for labeling candidates should not be absolutely in never occasion be discriminatory or even lead to the consideration of certain categories as derogatory in any way so I hope minister I have answered your question and you made a very relevant point that is very important for our work on electoral assistance now I would like to get back to the panel and ask whether team or Emin want to reply to the questions raised by Tariq Khan and by Shanti Baker I would be happy to jump in and reply to a couple of these questions I think the question on corruption is an absolutely essential one and one of the ways in which I've seen international ideas sort of directly work on these issues is in the 2017 global state of democracy report the chapter five of that report directly addresses the role of an influence of money and politics and talks about how deleterious corruption is to democracy it leads to unequal access to powers of government so often money and politics and particularly to the mechanism of supporting campaigns and political parties sort of undermines the equality of participation in democracy and then the second deleterious effect is on policy capture we see that countries context that have influence of money and politics don't have a sort of rational serve all people kinds of public policies and that public policies can be hide and skewed toward those with resources to influence politics but the most important effect of corruption is getting right back to some of the concerns that we addressed around declining trust and trust in government and indeed trust in society we see that context with high degrees of corruption and rent seating to use the academic terminology have this sort of decline trust so international ideas work in this regard and in that a chapter that I mentioned in the 2017 global state of democracy talks about two things really to combat corruption one is to take a holistic approach it has to involve public officials political parties oversight actors governors on these to have a holistic approach and the other is what is called integrity enhanced systems where there's a multiplicity of efforts to address conflicts of interest to address bribery to have greater financial accountability access to justice protection of civil society etc so the question on corruption is an absolutely critical one in one in which I think idea has done so very good work in terms of monitoring how much money affects politics very briefly we'll just address the question raised by the permanent representative from Bangladesh which is also a very good question which gets to the role of social media and hate speech and of course that's been a critical issue in Myanmar as we've seen in the press but also context like Ethiopia where Facebook was has been identified as a mechanism by which identity based tensions have been inclined in Ethiopia and we see in part the effects of that I think the most important thing to say about the about the problem of social media is that the secretary general's plan of action on hate speech actually includes a number of very important measures the most important of which is monitoring of hate speech and working with the tech companies and working with the social media providers to monitor hate speech and to regulate it as necessary I would just point to the experience of Kenya in this regard with its national cohesion and integration commission which is trying to monitor hate speech some of which emanates outside of the boundaries of the country so these are very good questions I think critical issues as we're looking ahead in terms of protection of democracy thank you very much team and unless Emin wants to add to that I perhaps could yes yes very shortly because the question was actually about corruption was actually very accurately answered by Timothy sisk so thank you for that I just wanted to add that the subject of corruption is of course also very important when we're discussing the rule of law with stg-16 and it is part of the whole approach to to to have a better democracy but what I wanted to underline is also there are many many other organizations in Europe because the question was more specifically about Europe and the United States so I want to underline the need also for idea to to cooperate also with other organizations who are working maybe more focused on the topic because it is a holistic approach and if you cooperate on these issues you can even reach better results so that's what I wanted to add my other the question of mrs shanti I forgot her family name I didn't quite understand is the League of Billionaires and sort of civil society organization I don't know the organization thank you I mean I think shanti baker referred to how international idea partners with the foundations and supported by endowments by billionaires in order to respond to the needs of poor people who are decent disenfranchised the citizens that was the question and I think if I may that international idea works primarily with funding from member states or from other donors that are non-member states of international idea have engaged also in partnerships with foundations and charities I'll do this is not the main portion of our budget it is however very important to note that the work on democracy that we are carrying out impacts also on goals of poverty reduction or eradication for example through our global state of democracy report we assess also the interlinkages between SDG 16 the sustainable development goal on peace justice and accountable institutions and other goals in the sustainable development goals framework including those on hunger on poverty on decent jobs education health and gender equality so indirectly we play a role there and I would also underscore what you and team just said that corruption is very important anti-corruption must be at the core of the work of international community there are also specializations in different agencies including international organizations that work specifically on corruption but international idea work on the funding of political parties and some elements related to the disclosure of the source of funding or political parties for example are particularly important both in Europe and the US but also elsewhere and this is in in answer to the question that was raised there is one a question again in the chat I'll try to summarize it quickly it's a question from Shayla Serrano and it's about what could be the next generation so forgive me Shayla for summarizing it we are we are very close to the end of this meeting so what are the let's say the next generation of electoral assistance when it comes to supporting electoral management bodies as the main strategic partners could it be in area where this classic approach could be refrained in the multilateral in a multilateral approach so to speak what are the constraints that exist there which other actors should be included and how I must say that the United Nations is very perceptive about this issue I know that the electoral assistance division in the DPPA is one of the lead engines in the UN to coordinate the work and the policies of the UN in terms of electoral assistance and they also address these in order to make as effective as possible international electoral assistance we have to continuously revise the elements of the fettiness of support and definitely building institutions is much more than just supporting than just supporting one particular institution we have to work together as partners in order to support an advance in institutional culture to refer to one thing that Tim mentioned that would strengthen the integrity of the electoral process and for that purpose the role of civil society actors the role of political parties the role of parliament the role of oversight institutions the role of the media and we could go even beyond and consider even more stakeholders all these roles are important in order to bring about the support and assistance that goes beyond the short term that is the implementation of a particular election and strengthens electoral processes through different cycles an important element to refer also to what Fabrizio Osci said for sustaining peace beyond the agreements that Tim referred to the settlement agreements that may make sense in the immediate aftermath of the conflict but should also be revisited over and over again after time to make them more consistent with the conditions that have emerged in a particular context we may think of lessons from the past but we may think also of the crisis that are now and the crisis of the future let's not forget the words of the president of the general assembly the minister of foreign affairs of sweden and the secretary general of idea and in the opening welcoming remarks when they are referred to the importance of effective intergenerational policies that engage the youth engage a plethora of actors who have no voice not simply because they are excluded as it happens now but also because they they will have voice only in the future and our choices today will affect their lives tomorrow so with this in mind and bearing in mind also the roadmap painted by emin with respect to the exit the forward-looking exit from the pandemic crisis i'm i'm glad to conclude today's webinar by thanking all the panelists all the speakers and the audience that intervened and posed questions and let me thank also my colleagues here at the new york office of the permanent observer for international idea who did an excellent job in in bringing these to an end thank you thank you very much and in difficult times such as the ones we live in spain is firmly convinced of the importance of robust democracies inclusive multilateralism and global cooperation democracy cannot fall victim to the pandemic it is imperative to remain committed to promoting and strengthening democratic values we are also convinced that upholding multilateralism is the only way forward to deal with the major global challenges ahead of us as well with the consequences of the pandemic happy 25th anniversary dear idea institute and your colleagues let's continue working together 25 more years towards sustainable and resilient democracies hello it is my pleasure to extend my sincere greetings to all of you on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the international institute for democracy and electoral assistance it is the right time to reflect what we've achieved in the past 25 years democracy is not a single short effort it requires constant attention and care it requires polishing from promoting democratic education to educating people on democratic values the idea is championing the in this area to further promote democratic institutions and democratic values throughout the world once again i wish to extend my sincere appreciation to the idea and happy 25th anniversary i would like to take this opportunity to congratulate international idea for its 25th anniversary as you may know she is a founder member of idea and our commitment to democracy remain stronger than ever we believe that during this difficult time of the pandemic the work of idea is more important than ever to defend democratic values worldwide so i want to congratulate especially to all the staff members both in Stockholm and in the regional offices for this anniversary and i encourage you to continue working to defend the values that founded this great institution congratulations to international idea on its 25th anniversary the german government is proud to be a member of international idea over the past 25 years international idea has proven to be an important thing and do tank for the promotion of democracy around the globe nowadays this task is more important than ever the world faces an erosion of democratic systems and of civic and political space worsened by covid 19 crisis we have to protect democratic values in all parts of the world germany is strongly committed to this challenge german development cooperation is focusing on democracy protection and promotion in more than 40 partner countries and we are very happy to partner with international idea in this endeavor as minister of international development i'm sending you this message to celebrate the 25th anniversary of international idea canada is committed to promoting and protecting democracy worldwide since becoming a member state of international idea in 1997 we have been supporting and working closely with your organization we value your strong international reputation extensive programming and high quality policy products for example we have benefited from your biennial report the global state of democracy and your leadership and calling to defend democracy during the covid 19 crisis we particularly appreciated the valuable insights you had provided during consultations for our feminist international assistance policy a few years ago with democracy under constant threat we look forward to continuing to work with international idea to support democratic development and inclusive governance across the world thank you and happy anniversary dear ideacia secretary general colleagues and friends finland is a founding member of the international idea and we are proud of that nopel peace prize awarded and former president of finland marty ahtisari was a member of the first idea board finland has contributed ideas work for many years in miamar at present idea data and tools are used by finnish ministries political parties and academia in in advancing new forms of democracy democracy the most successful political idea of the 20th century is now challenged by authoritarian regimes and movements we need idea its member states and its dedicated staff in defending democracy and human rights and all together we can strengthen a sustainable democracy for next decades after 25 years international idea is old enough to know better and young enough to be in one card to promote democracy happy anniversary democracy and the state of law in the world the effects of the pandemic show us that democracy is not a finished task without a permanent exercise for which it is necessary to have solid and effective institutions that make possible more just and inclusive societies thus next to celebrate its bicentenary of republican life the peru has launched internal reforms to improve the representation and electoral system whose results should be verified in the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2021 in this hemisphere and as a promoter of the inter-american democratic card Peru is still committed to the values that inspire it and continues to promote peaceful actions to recover democracy where it is vulnerable as a member of this organization and país sede de una ofcina nacional reciban el testimonio de la invariable apuesta del peru por el fortalecimiento de la democracia y la gobernabilidad así como el respaldo a idea internacional en esta tarea compartida muchas gracias greetings from the australian embassy in stock home and congratulations to international idea on its 25th anniversary it's great that colleagues in australia can participate in this event including the president of the australian senate scott ryan australia is proud to be a founding member of international idea and we thank idea for its ongoing efforts to promote and to protect democracy and support free and fair elections around the world we value international ideas role in our region covered 19 is testing all of our institutions from the global level to the local level it's clear that democracies have to stand up against efforts by some actors to use the pandemic as an opportunity to erode democracy and advance an authoritarian agenda governments need to find ways to balance respect for civil and political rights with the safety of communities supporting gender equality and women's empowerment is also vital to strengthening democracy australia looks forward to succeeding sweden as chair of the council of member states for international idea in 2021 and taking forward this important work on behalf of the government of europe why it is my pleasure to convey our most sincere and warm congratulations to international idea on its 25th anniversary we would like to recognize the relevance of the organization in promoting and strengthening democracy around the world and commend its secretary general and all the stuff for their work today the current context of divide 19 represents an additional challenge to democracy and we need to ensure that electoral processes take place in a in a credible and transparent manner your way is proud to be one of the full democracies in the world and it has recently conducted elections during the divide 19 scenario confirming that it is possible to ensure a ballot if suitable precautions are taken you're ready to collaborate with other countries by sharing our experience finally current circumstances are showing a deterioration on the quality of democracy and respect for human rights around the globe and for this reason we believe it is more relevant than ever that international idea play an active role by providing relevant insight and knowledge to help us defend our core values dear audience i would like to congratulate international idea with its 25th anniversary of course democracy itself already dates back over 2500 years which is also cause for celebration today it is as important as it was in ancient history to ensure fair and effective representation of the people we as the Netherlands are long-term supporters of international idea throughout the years we have very much valued the tremendous work events tools and studies of the secretariat and our international cooperation with idea member states in the council today we celebrate ideas anniversary during the global COVID-19 pandemic a crisis with unprecedented effects also on democracy and elections worldwide idea rightfully addresses these risks and puts them on the international agenda this to me shows the continued value and agility of international idea i firmly believe that ideas efforts are very important in advancing democracy both in context where it's newly embraced as well as in established democracies congratulations with this milestone common element fundamental in the sustainable development of the countries this maxima is in the fiber of the costar recents and that's why we are part of this group from its beginnings we share with idea the premise that democracy is a universal aspiration and so it is for all sectors of society that receive their benefits directly from women niñez adolescence youth indigenous indigenous adults older people with disabilities descendants and population the gtbq plus are part of the national order that nourishes the democratic political processes strong and spaces for the free manifestation of their ideas have costa rica to boost the idea of a sustainable and inclusive development the current pandemic is changing how we live our lives and how political leaders are making decisions the current situation underlines the importance of well-functioning institutions and trust trust between people and trust between people and the authorities democracy youth and climate change is a timely topic today's young people are not only our future leaders but also our future guardians of democracy and our future guardians of the environment the persistence and bravery of young people who are demanding democracy across the world gives us hope popular decisions may be effective in the short term but they're not always the right decisions for future generations democracy human rights and the rule of law are essential for young people to be able to control and shape their own destiny teaching children and young people to become active citizens through an understanding of democratic norms and practices is an important element in creating lasting peace i would like to thank international idea for your important contributions in building sustainable democracy over the last 25 years the fight for democracy is not over cove 19 has made the organization's mission even more relevant you have an important role to play also in the next 25 years happy anniversary it's my pleasure and privilege to congratulate the international institute for democracy and electoral assistance on its 25th anniversary on behalf of india the largest democracy in the world democracy needs to be cherished preserved and celebrated every effort to strengthen democracy is a welcome force multiplier in the last 25 years iid a has contributed to advancing democracy around the world and deserves our greetings on its 25th anniversary india is happy to have supported international idea from its inception in 1995 on this occasion i would also like to complement the swedish government in taking a lead in the establishment of the international idea in india the democratic ideals have permeated to everyday reality from their high pedestal of the constitution beginning with an ambitious almost impossible project of universal edit suffrage of its diverse and numerous people after independence in 1947 india has held 17 successful general elections so far the 2019 general elections had a voter count of more than 900 million with nearly 1 million polling stations across the country international idea has also witnessed this gigantic festival of democracy as many parts in the world are increasingly faced with strife and conflict promotion of sustainable democracy and democratic institutions by international idea for inclusive socioeconomic development in these societies assume more significance than ever before india before the election commission of india india through the election commission of india is actively engaged in exchange of standard operating procedures and know how on conduct of transparent fair and open elections with countries around the world ii da is welcome to benefit from and collaborate in this regard to promote democracy and equal rights to all it's our firm belief that in the wake of covid 19 pandemic democracy and democratic institutions have proved effective in fighting the known and unknown challenges of our times i'm confident that through our common and diverse democratic ideals would be strengthened further and there would be more prosperity and peace across the world in the years to come thank you for the attention