As concerns about the stability of democratic institutions continue around the world, the five-organization group said in a press release on Sunday that it would release a “resource with concrete steps that government leaders and democracy advocates can take to strengthen democracy and elections.”
According to the release, the document, titled “Model Commitments for Promoting Authentic and Credible Elections,” was provided by organizations including the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Carter Center, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the National Democratic Institute and the Kofi Annan Foundation.
The draft document shared with The Hill lists “commitments to support the efforts of countries and electoral integrity advocacy groups to strengthen electoral integrity and to engage other countries, organizations, and international and domestic actors to promote electoral integrity.” Among the commitments are “genuine elections,” “information integrity,” and “election accountability.”
“No country fully lives up to the democratic ideals it espouses. The development of democracy, including the holding of genuine elections, requires sustained concerted efforts,” the draft states. “Making commitments is important, but following through on them is crucial. The model commitments below are intended to serve as a high-level benchmark.”
In recent years, there have been growing concerns about the destabilization of democracies around the world. In the United States, Democrats have pointed to former President Trump as a danger to democracy, especially following the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
A March poll found that most Americans say democracy is important to their country's identity but that the country's democratic institutions are not working well. More than half (53%) of Americans said they believe the U.S. is a “poorly functioning democracy,” while 31% said they believe the U.S. is a “well-functioning democracy.”
