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Ministerial Panel II Democracy and Human Rights: Sharing Best Practices Toward a Community of Democracies Ministerial Conference, Warsaw, Poland, June 25-27, 2000 U.S. Department of State, June 15, 2000 |
Warsaw Ministerial Agenda
Toward a Community of Democracies: Concept Paper
Warsaw Declaration of Democratic Principles Background Democratic societies universally acknowledge that the effort to sustain and strengthen their chosen way of life requires constant study and self-examination. Yet while there are many international forums and convocations at which politics, governance, and society are discussed, there are few in which democratic countries study their own successes and failures among themselves in focussed ways. Democracy, which has stood the test of time, has come to be recognized as the form of governance which best meets the aspirations of the people. Several nations that became independent after World War II chose democracy for themselves and some of them have nurtured it throughout their independent existence. Similarly, many societies have a long tradition of people's participation in decision-making processes for centuries. Their experiences will prove valuable in strengthening the democratic impulse around the world. Over the past decade democracy and freedom have flourished even further around the world. Democracy is different from other forms of government in that it welcomes opportunities to learn from one another's experiences. Continuing forums in which democratic governments present and compare their own "best practices" can have many benefits. These benefits can already be seen in the limited dialogue currently taking place. Over the past decade, the efforts of the United Nations, inter-governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations have promoted the spread of democracy around the world. These efforts have been supplemented by organizations such as International Idea Foundation in Stockholm and the member institutes of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, on the conduct and observation of elections. The Organization of American States has helped new democracies in Latin America grasp how to manage civilian rule over strong military institutions. The Nonaligned Movement has fostered democratic principles in both domestic and international contexts. The Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM), and the Commonwealth have done commendable work in promoting the values of democracy and ensuring that those members who do not practise democracy cannot enjoy the solidarity and support of these groupings. There are some other useful examples of the exchange of best practices. Over the past decade the International Conference of New or Restored Democracies has held three international meetings at which the democracies of the '80s and '90s have discussed a range of their experiences. Another is planned for this December in Benin. And the Global Coalition for Africa regularly meets to explore issues of governance and conflict resolution in Africa. Soon after the elected government took office in Indonesia, several of its Ministers met in Washington, DC with leaders from other countries to learn how other new democracies balanced two sometimes conflicting obligations: the need to provide justice for those who suffered criminal abuses under a previous government; and the need to put the past behind and to move forward to build broad support for new institutions and to foster economic growth. Proposal Such conversations as these need to go forward in a more intense and comprehensive way. Participants in the Warsaw initiative will explore ways in which democratic governments can continue their dialogue around themes that are central to democracy in the critical period ahead. 1. Building Rule of Law and a Culture of Lawfulness Where government institutions are weak or mistrusted, and civic culture is not well established, criminal and extremist elements can acquire so strong a presence that they discredit the democratic experiment. But democracy also has special capabilities for overcoming lawlessness and disorder: active and informed citizens who will willingly cooperate with those authorities who respect their rights. Democracy must rely on its own strengths to resolve problems, and not grasp at undemocratic solutions which are more dangerous than the difficulties they purport to solve. Exchange of views could be promoted, involving law-enforcement officials, civic representatives, educators, and cultural figures to explore the challenges of lawlessness and extremism, and democratic strategies for resisting it. Civil campaigns against crime have been mounted by alliances of community leaders and law enforcement officials in such places as Sicily, Hong Kong, and South Africa that merit study and further experiment. Because today's criminality so often has international manifestations and involves immigration problems, trafficking in women and children, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering; terrorism, illegal trafficking in arms, particularly small arms, and other cross-border activities, it has special importance in international relations. Attention must also be given to streamlining and clarifying legal codes, developing adequate systems of legal education, providing independent watchdog agencies to investigate abuses, and to providing legal services to the poor. 2. Corruption in Government Corruption of democratic government and public officials, although less visible than the crime of the streets, is no less threatening to democracy and the international community. The breakdown of traditional authority structures and the engagement with the global economy that often accompany transitions to democracy bring many opportunities for corruption. Corruption perverts democratic decision-making, intrudes upon the election process and engenders public cynicism, strengthening democracy's enemies. It often becomes a grave impediment to economic progress. The main objective of greater cooperation amongst democracies should be for the promotion of constitutionalism and the rule of law. It should also seek to enlist wider public participation in decision making and in greater utilisation of revenue resources. It should also seek to promote to expand delegation, decentralisation (and, where necessary, deregulation), specially of financial powers vested with different authorities. Such cooperation should encourage the establishment and nurturing of autonomous institutions independent of governmental control in areas such as elections, audit and accounts, vigilance so that a system of mutual checks and balances is developed and put in place. Similarly, such cooperation should promote the development of an independent judiciary protected by law and free from interference from other arms of the government. Again the democracies must use their special strengths to fight corruption : transparency in business and government, the free media, institutional checks and balances, civic commitment, and an ethos of professionalism among public employees. Leaders from the relevant sectors of the democracies can meet to explore these matters. Particular attention should be given to the ways in which democratic governments and non-governmental forces can cooperate to fight corruption, without jeopardizing the rights and well-being of citizens. 3. Democracy and Economic Justice Democracy tends to increase economic opportunity, but the open competition of market-based economies can also heighten economic insecurity and deepen economic inequality. These are concerns that weigh not only on the new democracies, but also on those that are more established. When command economies give way to the market-based economies, older and often subsidized industries collapse, causing much hardship. At the same time, the transition to democracy brings heightened citizen expectations of greater prosperity and opportunity. Some will immediately gain as new forms of enterprise emerge, while for others the rewards may lag or decline. Some may see the quick new wealth others have acquired as illegitimate. Powerful forces of change are unleashed that, unchecked, can create social and economic challenges. How can this economic and political change be conducted so that its many benefits can be realized without great human sacrifice, sacrifice that becomes so painful and incomprehensible that large numbers of people sometimes turn against democracy and the market-based economic practices? This may be the greatest challenge many of our democracies face. But, difficult as the transition may be, governments and international institutions have found that some ways of meeting its challenges are far more successful than others. An examination of these practices will be rewarding. Privatization programs can be carried out with great transparency, and accompanied by educational campaigns that clearly explain citizens' rights and the likely consequences of change. Safety nets can be established to assist those hardest hit by economic shifts. Important constituencies should be included in planning major economic changes. International financial institutions should be sensitive to the impact of their policies on countries practising democracy or turning to democracy. 4. The Role of the Military in a Democracy Establishing the proper role for the military is another gruelling challenge that many new democracies must face. It requires changes of attitude on the part of the military, all elements of political leadership, and citizens themselves. The older democracies do have established traditions and institutions that govern civil/ military relations, and may be able to provide the best advice to newer democracies Today there are countries with civil-military tensions that hinder the development to democracy and those where democracy has been reversed through military take-overs. There is a need for discussions of the issues and practices that surround this subject. What steps must a government take to establish the principle of civilian control of the military? How can civilian parliamentarians better understand military budgets? How can mechanisms be established to protect genuine security matters while giving the public the knowledge it needs to make fundamental policy choices? What examples can be found, for example, in the work the OAS has encouraged Latin American Defense Ministries to do, or in the efforts of NATO's Partnership for Peace? 5. Justice and Reconciliation in Times of Change When an abusive government falls, justice must be done for those it wronged. Sometimes the democratic government that takes its place cannot survive unless it metes out justice firmly. But sometimes the demand for justice can disrupt the consolidation of a new spirit and a new government, making both justice and democracy unlikely. Many of the new democracies have found creative -- if often painful -- ways to reconcile the competing imperatives of justice and reconciliation. South Africa's Truth Commission, the Czech Republic's lustration, the difficult legal processes now being shaped in Indonesia -- all these have deep and important lessons for the new democracies and those who would assist them. It is especially important that discussion about these issues engages a broad public in the countries challenged by these problems, so that citizens can share the moral and political burdens to be borne. A related problem in the discussion on this theme might be: how can the greatest possible support be shown by outsiders for fledgling institutions of the administration of justice and protection of human rights in new democracies? This is a special problem for member nations of the democratic community. 6. Federalism, Decentralization, and Autonomy : Making Democracy Work in Multi-Ethnic Nations Many of the new democracies have sharp racial, ethnic, or religious differences among their citizens. Break-up would produce untenable mini-states, but staying together causes unbearable tensions. There are examples of countries where democracy has been harnessed in the task of nation-building, specially when societies consist of multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, pluralistic, and diverse elements. Solutions can sometimes be found in the various forms of decentralization or limited autonomy, which allow a degree of separate authority to different groups or regions, while maintaining cohesion and economies of scale where these serve good purpose. There is also the need to discourage forces of ethnic chauvinism as also religious exclusivism and intolerance. 7. Strengthening Democracy Through New Information Technologies. The development of fast, accessible, and inexpensive communications and information technologies creates many possibilities for enhancing and strengthening democratic government and life. Government can be made for more transparent and responsive to citizens. New and inexpensive media can emerge, and the mass media can reach more people. Civil society can employ the internet and satellite telecommunications to conduct its activities, and to reach out into remote areas. These new information technologies also pose their dangers, but, on balance, should serve many needs. Information technology and communications should be used as instruments for spreading the democratic impulse through the spread of education and universal literacy; innovative methods must be devised for spreading democratic values such as, for example, the use of street theatre. Democratic governments need to find opportunities to discuss the new technologies with experts in the field, with NGO leaders, and among themselves. Note: This paper is for informal discussion and does not represent the formal views of any government. [end of document]
Official Texts | Community of Democracies Initiative | Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
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