International Democracy Day: Date, Significance & History amid 2020 Covid spotlight

On Tuesday, September 15, International Day of Democracy will be observed around the world to promote and uphold democratic principles, including respect for human rights, inclusiveness, accountability, and transparency. According to the United Nations, the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has resulted in major social, political and legal challenges globally.

COVID-19: A Spotlight on Democracy

"As states around the world adopt emergency measures to address the crisis, it is critical that they continue to uphold the rule of law, protect and respect international standards and basic principles of legality, and the right to access justice, remedies and due process," the UN said. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged governments to be transparent, responsive and accountable in their COVID-19 response and ensure that any emergency measures are legal, proportionate, necessary and non-discriminatory. “The best response is one that responds proportionately to immediate threats while protecting human rights and the rule of law,” he said.

The UN states the concerns in many countries in the context of COVID-19. They are:   

• Measures to control the flow of information and crackdown on freedom of expression and press freedom against an existing background of shrinking civic space.
• Arrest, detention, prosecution or persecution of political opponents, journalists, doctors and healthcare workers, activists and others for allegedly spreading “fake news”.
• Aggressive cyber-policing and increased online surveillance.
• Postponement of elections is raising serious constitutional issues in some cases and may lead to rising tensions.

International Day of Democracy 2019 theme

The theme of the International Day of Democracy in 2019 was Participation. In a message. last year, United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the importance of democracy by saying that is about the people. "It is built on inclusion, equal treatment and participation, and it is a fundamental building block for peace, sustainable development and human rights," he said.

History & Background of International Democracy Day

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a resolution on November 8, 2007, that September 15 of each year would be observed as the International Day of Democracy. Their goal for this day is to promote government’s role in maintaining open democracy among all member nations of the UN Charter and to celebrate the system of values democracy promotes, giving citizens the power to make decisions regarding all aspects of their lives.

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In their efforts to advocate for democratic societies around the world, the UN serves a variety of purposes including monitoring elections, working to strengthen democratic institutions and accountability, and assisting nations recovering from conflict to create their own constitution.

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(Image credits: Representative/PTI)