Democracy and the United Nations

Observance Programme

General Assembly to Observe First International Day of Democracy on 15 September

Following General Assembly resolution 62/7 adopted on 8 November 2007, the General Assembly President, Srgjan Kerim, is convening an informal meeting of the plenary of the General Assembly to observe the International Day of Democracy on 15 September 2008, to be held from 9 to 10 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall.

The commemoration will be addressed by the following speakers:

• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
• Former President Ricardo Lagos of Chile (Keynote Address)
• Representative of the State of Qatar (main sponsor of resolution A/62/7)
• Representative of Portugal (Chair of the Community of Democracies)

International Round Table on
Democracy for Development - Development for Democracy
12 September 2008
The New York Helmsley Hotel
212 East 42nd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue)
Draft Annotated Agenda

• 8:30 a.m – 9:00 a.m      
  Registration (including light breakfast)
• 9:00 a.m   – 9:15 a.m  
  Welcoming address
  H.E. Ambassador Claude Heller, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN
• 9:15 a.m   – 9:30 a.m       
  Introductory remarks
  • Massimo Tommasoli, Permanent Observer for International IDEA to the UN
  • Elisabeth Spehar, Director, Europe and the Americas Division, UN DPA
  • Olav Kjørven, Director, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP
• 9:30 a.m   – 10:45 a.m      
  First session: Democracy and its impact on development
  
  Chair: Massimo Tommasoli, International IDEA
  
  Speakers:       
  • Marta Lagos, Director, Latino-barómetro, Chile
  • Peter Ronald deSouza, Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, India
  Discussants:  
  
  • Jibrin Ibrahim, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Nigeria
  • Lourdes Flores Nano, President, Alianza Electoral Unidad Nacional, Peru
  • Alexandra Trzeciak-Duval, Head, Policy Coordination Division, Development Cooperation Directorate, OECD
  
  There is evidence that, on balance, institutions that promote political contestability, checks and balances, freedom of expression, voice, and democratic accountability can make a greater difference for development results in the longer term. However, poverty may be an impediment to democracy as the struggle against hunger, disease and violence makes it extremely difficult for citizens to actively take part in political and social life.
  The results of opinion polls carried out by the global barometers and policy-oriented analysis on public perceptions of the “delivery” side of democracy show a worrying picture. For example, studies carried out in Latin America point to the existence of a negative correlation between trust of citizens in democratic institutions and disparities in national income distribution. A similar correlation is likely to exist in other regions as well. The recent sharp increases in food and oil prices triggered public unrest in many countries and put the “delivery capacity” of many democratic governments under severe strain.
  • What does current experience with democratic governance reveal about achieving sustainable development?
  • Why are the potential advantages of democracy not always translated into apparent or real development for poor countries or for the poor within other countries?
  • Are there any differences in trends and impacts at the regional level?
  • What scope is there for multilateral action (at global, regional and country levels) to support democratic reforms and dialogue that foster sustainable development?
• 10:45 a.m   – 11:00 a.m  
  Coffee break
• 11:00 a.m   – 1:00 p.m
  First session (continued)
• 1:00 p.m – 2:15 p.m  
  Lunch
• 2:15 p.m – 3:30 p.m  
  Second session: Development and its impact on democracy
  
  Chair: Bjorn Foerde, Director, Oslo Governance Centre, UNDP
  
  Speakers:       
  • Adebayo Olukoshi, Executive Secretary, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Senegal
  • Azyumardi Azra, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Indonesia
  • Discussants:   Jerzy Pomianowski, Head, Partnership for Democratic Governance Advisory Unit, OECD
  • Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
  • Marie-Angelique Savané, Chair, APR Panel of Eminent Persons, Senegal
  
  It has been argued that an effective development strategy leading to durable development gains requires many, if not all, of the essential hallmarks of democratic governance: rule of law, transparency, accountability, checks and balances, among others. It has also been argued that any development strategy needs to be ratified and reinforced by democratic participation in order to be implemented and to achieve results on a sustainable basis.
  In terms of international development cooperation, an element traditionally considered to be key to success is the principle of national ownership of the process. Current debate is increasingly focusing on enhancing the democratic dimension of the implementation of this principle, by focusing on mutual accountability and by acknowledging and enhancing the role of other actors in addition to national governments, such as civil society organizations, the private sector, and – more recently –actors more intrinsically political in nature, such as parliaments, local assemblies, and political parties, in donor and recipient countries alike.
  Thus, “democratic ownership of development” can be considered a concept that goes beyond classic development cooperation parameters and is highly relevant for both developing and developed countries, as reflected in the work on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on implementing the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and in follow-up to the ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum, in the context of the Financing for Development review.
  • To what extent and under what conditions is sustainable development essential for the building of democracy? What is the impact of different patterns of development on the building of democracy, based on experiences from various regions?
  • What are the main elements or “triggers” for democracy building and consolidation in these cases?
  • What are some useful experiences of national ownership of - and participatory processes in - development, in different parts of the world? How can these experiences be effectively shared, particularly in a South-South cooperation framework?
  • What scope is there for multilateral action (at global, regional and country levels) to support reforms to sustainable development processes that foster democracy building?
• 3:30 p.m – 3:45 p.m   Coffee break
• 3:45 p.m – 5:30 p.m   Second session (continued)
• 5:30 p.m – 6:00 p.m   Concluding remarks
  
  Chair: International IDEA
  
  Speakers:
  • Lynn Pascoe, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations
  • Ad Melkert, Deputy Administrator, UNDP