[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 540 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 540

Recognizing September 15, 2014, as the International Day of Democracy, 
affirming the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy, and 
encouraging all governments to stand with civil society in the face of 
         mounting restrictions on civil society organizations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 10, 2014

    Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. McCain) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing September 15, 2014, as the International Day of Democracy, 
affirming the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy, and 
encouraging all governments to stand with civil society in the face of 
         mounting restrictions on civil society organizations.

Whereas in 2007, September 15 of each year was established by the United Nations 
        as the International Day of Democracy, a day set aside to review the 
        state of democracy in the world;
Whereas democracy is a means of government that makes manifest the free exercise 
        of certain inalienable rights, among them being the freedom of assembly, 
        the freedom of association, the freedom of the press, and the freedom of 
        speech;
Whereas democracy allows for participatory governance, mobilizing citizens to 
        strive for their version of the good and instilling hope that the 
        aspirations of the people may one day be realized;
Whereas an analysis of 84 independent studies shows that democracy has a 
        favorable impact on the formation of human capital, the rate of 
        inflation, the level of economic freedom, and the stability of political 
        institutions;
Whereas democracy promotes tolerance and respect by recognizing the human 
        dignity of all people and is necessary to the full realization of the 
        values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 
        defines ``civil society'' as associations around which society 
        voluntarily organizes itself and which represent a wide range of 
        interests and ties, including community-based organizations, indigenous 
        peoples' organizations, and non-government organizations (NGOs);
Whereas a vibrant civil society is an essential element of democratic societies 
        and plays a key role in providing transparency, ensuring the legitimacy 
        of elections, advocating for marginalized groups, and making clear the 
        will of the people;
Whereas, since 2012, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law has 
        identified 69 new restrictive measures in over 50 countries hindering 
        the ability of civil society organizations (CSOs) to freely operate;
Whereas of the 98 countries for which data is available, research presented in a 
        2013 article for the Journal of Democracy explains that 12 prohibit and 
        39 restrict foreign funding of domestic NGOs;
Whereas in 2000, the Community of Democracies was founded ``to bring together 
        governments, civil society, and the private sector in the pursuit of a 
        common goal: supporting democratic rules and strengthening democratic 
        norms and institutions around the world'';
Whereas in 2011, the United States joined other like-minded governments to 
        establish the ``Lifeline: Embattled Civil Society Organizations Fund'' 
        to provide small grants to CSOs for immediate needs and to support 
        short-term advocacy projects;
Whereas, through the Open Government Partnership, 63 countries have committed to 
        protecting the ability of CSOs to operate in a manner that is consistent 
        with the rights to freedom of expression, association, and opinion;
Whereas in September 2013, on the sidelines of the United Nations General 
        Assembly, the United States launched a coordinated multilateral effort 
        encouraging countries to stand with civil society and push back against 
        growing restrictions on CSOs;
Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of 
        Peaceful Assembly and of Association stands on the front lines of civil 
        society protection, documenting extensive global threats to civil 
        society and strengthening international norms; and
Whereas the United States remains committed to its stand with civil society by 
        developing new mechanisms to combat restrictions on civil society and 
        bolster civil society's efforts to support democracy around the world: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of the International Day 
        of Democracy;
            (2) recognizes the importance of civil society to the 
        healthy development of nations;
            (3) celebrates the invaluable contributions civil society 
        has made to the creation, strength, and preservation of vibrant 
        democracies and democratic institutions;
            (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        protection, advancement, health, and sustainability of 
        democracy throughout the world;
            (5) condemns the use of restrictions, coercion, threats, or 
        force to impede the activities of civil society organizations;
            (6) recognizes the important multilateral work of the 
        Community of Democracies, the ``Lifeline: Embattled Civil 
        Society Organizations Fund'', the Open Government Partnership, 
        and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to 
        Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association to protect 
        global civil society;
            (7) recognizes the important role diplomacy plays in 
        defending global civil society and creating new openings for 
        civic space;
            (8) emphasizes the value of programs of the United States 
        Government in protecting civil society and defending civic 
        space, including the work by the Senior Advisor for Civil 
        Society and Emerging Democracies and the Bureau of Democracy, 
        Human Rights, and Labor of the United States Department of 
        State, and the United States Agency for International 
        Development (USAID);
            (9) calls on private sector partners and other governments 
        to develop new tools and leverage existing technologies to 
        support the efforts of civil society; and
            (10) encourages the people of the United States and the 
        world to observe the International Day of Democracy, September 
        15, 2014, with appropriate programs and activities.
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