An international democracy movement

The sixth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies (ICNRD) was held recently in Doha, Qatar. It brought together governments, parliaments and civil society from hundreds of countries, from kingdoms with hereditary leaders to those with elected representatives at the highest level.

The majority of the world community recognizes democracy, with all its flaws and loopholes, as the best form of governance. Democracy and human rights are intertwined, and patriarchy cannot coexist with democracy. One of the ideas agreed upon at the ICNRD was that with the diversity of cultures and historical contexts it is impossible to agree upon one model of democracy. On the other hand, there are several critical and core elements to any democratic system; equal participation and representation, the upholding of human rights, the rule of law and gender equality. Democracy is often equated with the holding of free and fair elections without a critical appraisal of whether or not its other elements are present.

The ICNRD is one of the few forums that bring governments, parliaments, civil society and the United Nations (UN) together on an equal footing. The Doha conference acknowledged that civil society is a key partner in democratization. Civil society is often regarded as a service delivery backstop to make up for government deficiencies or a thorn in the flesh of governments, reminding them of their obligations. However the ICNRD process considers civil society an integral part of the movement for democracy, not only by being a service provider but also by providing valuable policy input based on their experience on the ground.

Democracy has been identified as the vehicle best equipped to deliver human and women's rights. The United Nations, particularly under the leadership of former and present Secretaries-General Boutros Boutros Ghali and Koffi Annan have advanced the cause of democracy and role of the UN in encouraging democracy. Apart from being part of the ICNRD, the UN has set up the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) to support democracy initiatives. International human rights standards, codified in various conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) have been regarded as the standards to which states should aspire. By agreeing to a common set of standards and reporting mechanisms, states have agreed to ascribe and simultaneously be subject to the standards set by their peers at an international level. While internationally set norms, particularly human rights norms, do not carry very strong punitive measures for non-compliance, they nevertheless impact on individual countries. Not only do countries desire to be part of the community of nations, they are also amenable to lobbying and pressure from human rights activists who base their demands on these international instruments. The tripartite nature of the ICRND strengthens civil society's role by acknowledging its crucial role in human rights protection.

The international finance institutions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have had an important and controversial role to play in the democratization of countries who wish to receive their financial assistance. On the one hand their insistence on certain economic policies has meant that economically dominated countries have had to implement measures to eliminate corruption of they hope to receive assistance. On the other hand measures such as the Structural Adjustment Policies imposed upon poor countries have been detrimental to health and education systems, with women bearing the brunt of their negative effects. Donor countries have also grudgingly been allowed a say in the governance of their beneficiary countries. This has meant that certain aspects of democratic governance have been pegged to financial gain and not necessarily on a real commitment to democratic principles. The culture of economically dominant countries has often prevailed with the definition of democracy being based on their understanding of democracy.

While at an international level individual countries are subject to scrutiny of their democratic practice, the movement for international democracy is not as strong. Although the UN employs a one nation one vote system, according to Kumi Naidoo of CIVICUS, the powerful Security Council is based on the geopolitics of 1945. Criticism has been leveled against countries such as the United States of America which is said to regard itself as an exporter of democracy yet has taken upon itself the role of waging the war in Iraq which is widely seen as unjust and lacking the approval of the international community. Power at the international level is closely linked to economic (and military) dominance.

The ICNRD is one effort to promote the international and multi-sectoral promotion of local democracy. The International Civil Society Forum for Democracy (ICSFD) which brought together civil society organizations for the ICNRD made several recommendations for a working relationship with the UN, governments and parliaments for the promotion of democracy. One of these recommendations was that governments and parliaments should create an enabling environment for civil society, including a legal framework. The UN has been at the forefront of encouraging co-operation and partnership between civil society and government, but the relationship has remained largely separate and based on mutual suspicion. The New Partnership for Development (NEPAD) of the African Union and its peer review mechanism make provision for the participation of civil society organizations in appraising the economic and political situations of African countries. African non-governmental organizations have complained that NGOs which have been accepted as part of the process have been hand-picked by governments. Civil society organizations likely to offer a critical evaluation of governments are sidelined. This highlights the uneasiness with which government and civil society regard each other. The ICNRD process seeks to bring together the two parties on a basis of equality. Civil society has had a major role to play in the advancement of women's rights from their articulation to their promotion and implementation. However it has often had to do so from an adversarial position, and as a service provider, and commonly a 'fire-fighting' provider. The ICNRD movement provides a chance for civil society to provide input on policy at an international level. As democracy is inextricably linked to women's rights this process provides an opportunity to women's rights organizations to advance their cause on another front that provides a framework for their equal participation.

For more on the International Conference for New and Restored Democracies visit http://ICNRD6.com

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