Supporting the Summits for Democracy

The war in Ukraine underscores, even more, the need for democracies to stand united in the face of authoritarian threats. International IDEA has therefore developed a strategic engagement programme around the Summits for Democracy.

In December 2021, the U.S. Government hosted the first Summit for Democracy with the aim to bring together government, civil society and private sector leaders to form a global agenda for democratic renewal.  The second Summit in March 2023 showcased progress made by governments on their commitments to strengthen democracy during the ‘Year of Action’ and the work of the 16 multi-stakeholder Democracy Cohorts. It was co-hosted by the governments of the U.S., Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and Zambia.

The third Summit for Democracy will take place from 18 to 20 March 2024 in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. The three-day Summit will feature a range of activities under the theme ‘Democracy for Future Generations’. International IDEA, in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Open Government Partnership, and the Community of Democracies, is supporting the government of the Republic of Korea to organize the Cohorts, Civil Society and Youth Engagement Day of the Summit.

International IDEA contributes to the Summit for Democracy process through knowledge production, data and analysis, dialogues and partnership building. In its work, International IDEA aims to foster and facilitate civil society and multi-stakeholder engagement in the Summits for Democracy with democracy organizations from across the world. As co-coordinator of the Global Democracy Coalition, International IDEA organizes the Partners for Democracy Day that provides a global platform for civil society and other democracy actors. The Partners for Democracy Day 2024 will take place on 19 March 2024.

International IDEA maintains the Summit for Democracy News and Resources Portal, funded by the European Union. The Portal includes a dashboard of countries' verbal and written commitments as well as an overview of the Democracy Cohorts' work. International IDEA is also the co-lead of two of the Democracy Cohorts – the Cohort on Youth Political and Civic Engagement and the Cohort on Gender Equality as a Pre-Requisite for Democracy.