Principles of Democracy
All people share an inherent right and irrepressible desire to live in freedom and make decisions about
their own lives. As historical and more recent events have shown, denial of this basic truth leads
inevitably to injustice, conflict, and suffering.
Democracy is the best form of government for ensuring peace, prosperity, sustainable development,
and human progress because it is rooted in a recognition of human rights and allows for the orderly
reconciliation of competing views and interests. It is a political system based on the free consent of the
governed, and it is maintained through a network of mutually reinforcing structures, in which those
exercising power are subject to checks both within and outside the state—from independent courts, an
independent press, and all the elements of a diverse and active civil society.
No individual democracy adheres perfectly to this ideal, but democratic rights and institutions provide
the means for self-correction and improvement. When one part of the democratic system falters, the
others can be used as tools to repair and strengthen it, empowering people to constantly, peacefully
strive for a better future.
Some of the most urgent challenges of our time stem from a failure of democratic states and societies to
rally together, offer consistent and reciprocal support, and collectively address violations of fundamental
rights wherever they occur. The neglect has been corrosive, leading to nearly two decades of decline in
global freedom and a pattern of mounting authoritarian aggression. In response, the world’s
democracies must work together to reinforce shared ideals and confront common threats.
In keeping with the goals of the second Summit for Democracy, we—the undersigned nongovernmental
organizations and civil society cohort leads—declare that the following principles are integral to the
success of all democracies, and to the rights, dignity, security, and freedom of their people. We call on
states to take the recommended actions associated with each principle.
We affirm that observance of these principles will demonstrate the efficacy, legitimacy, and appeal of
democratic governance, both to those living in freedom and to those still struggling to end their
oppression. We commit to supporting these principles around the world, without exception, because
they protect the dignity of all people and promote opportunity for all. Here are some of the basic
principles of democracy.
Principle 1: Protection and Cultivation of Fundamental Freedoms and Civic Space
States should maintain an enabling environment for civil society activism by guaranteeing respect for
the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression and ensuring that law and policy do not
impede the work of civil society organizations.
States should promote the right of civil society representatives to participate in public policymaking, in
part by affording them opportunities to provide input on proposed laws and to express views that are
critical of existing laws and policies.
States should refrain from reprisals against and stigmatization of civil society activists, support
international standards that prohibit such behavior, and offer protection to those who are forced into
exile.
Principle 2: Election Integrity and Political Pluralism
States should conduct regular, free, and fair elections that are accessible to and inclusive of all eligible
voters and candidates and that enable orderly transfers of power.
States should foster space for robust political party competition that provides a platform for diverse
political viewpoints and gives voters a meaningful choice on election day.
States should cultivate and appropriately fund autonomous, professional, and impartial institutions to
manage elections.
States should promote positive, open discourse on democracy, and election authorities should
proactively and expeditiously address information that has the potential to undermine trust in the
election cycle, without improperly infringing on the fundamental freedoms of speech and expression.
States and election authorities should consider the opportunities and risks associated with the
introduction of new election technologies and select the most appropriate tools to support efficient,
transparent, and credible election processes.
States should commit to the ideal, through a democratic system of checks and balances, that all elected
governments serve the interests of the public as a whole and respect the rights of political and
demographic minority groups. Pluralistic legislatures with the power to monitor and challenge the
executive branch should play an active role in this process.
States should increase transparency and accountability in political financing to promote fair competition
in elections and close off opportunities for private, illicit, or undemocratic interests to unduly influence
decision-making.
Principle 3: Inclusive Policymaking
States should recognize that the loss of agency and control among citizens, or even the impression
thereof, is a key source of democratic instability.
States should prevent related harms by working to explore, expand, and refine mechanisms that give
citizens a substantive and visible role in the major policy decisions and legislative initiatives affecting
their lives.
States should take into account the voices of people from emerging democracies and the Global South
when developing policies that could affect conditions beyond their own borders. For example, states
should consult widely on draft regulations for global digital platforms that might negatively impact
freedom of expression in other countries.
Principle 4: Solidarity against Authoritarian Pressure
States with donor capacity should maintain or significantly increase their support for democratic
movements and institutions worldwide. They should deepen diplomatic and material support for
democratic activists in authoritarian environments and provide a safe haven for those who are forced to
flee as a result of their work.
States should keep a public spotlight on the mounting number of human rights defenders, journalists,
and democracy activists who have been detained worldwide, and take additional steps to routinely and
proactively advocate for the swift release of specific political prisoners during interactions with
counterparts in other governments.
States should recognize that transnational repression is a threat to democracy and human rights
worldwide, as it undermines the rule of law, imperils civil and political liberties, and spreads
authoritarian practices. States should commit to addressing transnational repression, including by
ending impunity for perpetrators, strengthening the resilience of democratic institutions, and protecting
vulnerable groups and individuals.
States should reinforce economic solidarity as a deterrent to authoritarian economic coercion, working
to better insulate individual states from retaliatory measures when they stand up for the values of
democracy and human rights.
Principle 5: Media Freedom and Resistance to Disinformation
States should recognize that a diverse and independent media sector is essential to the health of a
democracy, and actively protect journalists from censorship, threats of violence, and other undue
restrictions on their work.
States should foster a culture of transparency in government, allowing the press to access the
information it needs to hold public officials accountable for their performance or malfeasance.
States should enact and adhere to laws and regulations that protect freedom of expression as enshrined
in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.
States should cultivate societal resilience to disinformation by safeguarding the right to freely access and
distribute credible information, promoting media literacy at all levels of society, and supporting
initiatives committed to tracking, analyzing, and combating harmful disinformation campaigns.
States should take a proactive approach to countering disinformation, enhancing their predictive
capabilities and engaging in preemptive measures to “prebunk” emerging narratives. They should invest
in public diplomacy to advance these goals.
States should work with the private sector to reform media regulations and markets in a manner that
will support independent news outlets’ financial self-sufficiency, and actively challenge business models
and algorithms that either incentivize or monetize hate speech or dis- and misinformation.
Principle 6: Human Rights on Digital Platforms
States should uphold fundamental human rights in the digital sphere. They should refrain from shutting
down or disrupting access to and use of telecommunications and online services, including social media
platforms, anticensorship technologies, and websites hosting political, social, and religious speech. They
should also strengthen legal protections for free expression online, including by decriminalizing speech
that is protected under international human rights standards and refraining from the imposition of civil
penalties for such speech. The exchange of information through the internet and online platforms
should remain open, affordable, and secure, even in times of crisis.
States should address digital threats to human security. They should tightly regulate the deployment
and ban the export of surveillance tools or other technologies that can facilitate human rights abuses,
like NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware product. These systems are often used to spy on human rights
defenders, political dissidents, and journalists, or to harass vulnerable communities across borders.
States should enact data protection and privacy laws that strengthen human rights, protect encryption,
and strictly regulate access to and use of personal data by both state and nonstate actors. Governments
should protect their people from harmful commercial data policies and practices that incentivize abuse
and misuse of private information. They should also ensure that state collection and use of
communications data is carried out in a transparent, accountable, and rights-respecting manner.
States should use and regulate digital technologies in a manner that not only supports fundamental
rights but also advances equitable economic development, environmental sustainability, and innovation.
The content of this declaration of principles reflects the contributions of the civil society co-leads of
cohorts established throughout the Year of Action as part of the Summit for Democracy. Fourteen
cohorts contributed to this effort: Anti-Corruption Policies as a Guarantee for National Security, Stability,
and Sovereignty; Civic Space; Deliberative Democracy and Citizens’ Assemblies; Disability Rights; Election
Integrity; Financial Transparency and Integrity; Gender Equality as a Prerequisite for Democracy;
Information Integrity; International Cooperation for Anti-Corruption; Media Freedom; Resisting
Authoritarian Pressure; Rule of Law and People-Centered Justice; Technology for Democracy; and Youth
Political and Civic Engagement. This initiative was led and coordinated by Freedom House, the George
W. Bush Institute, and the McCain Institute
References
https://www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/in-the-news/a-civil-society-declaration-of-democratic-
principles-on-the-occasion-of-the-2023-summit-for-democracy/
