International Day of Democracy is observed by the United Nations on September 15 every year to honour this form of government and its achievements. Democracy is by far the most popular form of government in the world. It is a form in which the citizens of a place get to decide for themselves either through their elected representatives or directly. Therefore in this form the citizens have the authority on the matters of legislation.
"Let us commit to a future in which we recognize human rights and the rule of law as fundamental to democracy."
— United Nations (@UN) September 15, 2021
-- @antonioguterres on Wednesday's International #DemocracyDay.
More: https://t.co/7jBs6xNkQW pic.twitter.com/CK2DaY0SjF
Take a look at the significance of this day, the history of democracy and the theme observed by the United Nations this year.
International Day of Democracy 2021: What UN says this year- Theme and motto
United Nations this year is promoting three essential elements of democracy which are:
- Freedom
- Human Rights
- Free and fair elections
This year the hashtag that is being promoted by UN is Stand Up For Human Rights or #StandUp4HumanRights.
The theme of this day is different every year. Last year the United Nations decided to focus on COVID19 and the governments across the globe dealing with it. It was called “Covid-19: A Spotlight on Democracy.” In 2019, the event took place under the theme “Participation”. The theme for 1018 was “Democracy under strain: Solutions for a changing world.”
The United Nations insists that freedom, respect for human rights and the principles for holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are the major elements of any democracy. These provide the realisation of human rights as well. It further states that these values are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and were developed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The link between human rights and democracy is written in Article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Take a look at the tweet shared by the United Nations below.
Freedom
— United Nations (@UN) September 15, 2021
Human rights
Free & fair elections
↪️ These are essential elements of democracy.
More on Wednesday's #DemocracyDay: https://t.co/Ng4TCszfmG #StandUp4HumanRights pic.twitter.com/iAjXab3EAx
International Day of Democracy: History
The International Day of Democracy has been observed on September 15 every year since 2007. Although, this day is largely based on the Universal Declaration of Democracy adopted on September 15, 1997 by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) which is an international organization of national parliaments of the world.
Some people also range the day to 1988 when the President of the Philippines, Corazon C. Aquino initiated International Conferences on the New and Restored Democracies. In 2006, Qatar hosted the ICNRD-6 and thereafter promoted the resolution for the International Day of Democracy in the UN General Assembly.
In 2007, UNGA decided to observe September 15 as the International Day of DEmocracy and passed a resolution supporting new and restored democracies of the world.
International Day of Democracy: Significance
The International Day of Democracy marks the importance of Democracy in the world. After all it is the form of government that provides maximum ease and the feeling of self worth to the citizens. India being the largest democracy in the world conducting elections on a massive scale every five years is the best example of exercising human rights and universal suffrage.
Democracy allows people to make their own legislation, decide their rights and duties and work together in national interests. This is the best government form for nation building.
Also, the International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy across the globe.
As per United Nations, " Democracy is as much a process as a goal, and only with the full participation of and support by the international community, national governing bodies, civil society and individuals, can the ideal of democracy be made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere." The observation of this day asserts the same and reverberates it around the year.
Take a look at the tweets shared by world democracies here:
On International Day of Democracy, we highlight the meaning of democracy, which is not just limited to electing a government but also respecting & championing the individual voices & imaginations of our citizens.
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 15, 2021
We must stand in unity to defend democracy all over the world. pic.twitter.com/fpU8hRQtOK
Take a look what UN ambassadors of the world have to say about the democracy day
For #DemocracyDay, we asked 🇪🇺EU Ambassadors to the UN🇺🇳 what democracy means to them.
— 🇪🇺EU at UN-NY (@EUatUN) September 14, 2021
Take a look & let us know:
What does democracy mean to you? pic.twitter.com/hzugnB3Z1J
See, what others have to say as well.
On this International Day of Democracy, learn what 🇺🇸 and its international partners are doing to support the Burmese people’s calls for democracy and demand an end to the military's systematic targeting of protesters, civil society, and journalists: https://t.co/XDoHo62sVK pic.twitter.com/jjda21TreV
— US Mission to ASEAN (@USMission2ASEAN) September 15, 2021On International Day of Democracy 2021, we celebrate Australia and Taiwan’s shared commitment to democracy, fairness, freedom and the rule of law, united by mutual respect, dignity and equality of opportunity. pic.twitter.com/6mQXg6ObNc
— Jenny Bloomfield (@AusOfficeTPE) September 15, 2021India being the biggest democracy is also observing the day with pomp and show.
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