[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5511-S5512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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     SENATE RESOLUTION 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

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

                              S. Res. 540

       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.

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the important 
role civil society plays in the promotion of democracy as we observe 
International Day of Democracy this September 15.
  Twenty-five years ago, I stood in Berlin as the wall was coming down. 
I will never forget that moment when the will of the people was finally 
recognized. It's true that we have seen extraordinary progress over the 
years. But in too many parts of the globe, basic rights continued to be 
denied to those fighting for democratic ideals.
  Today, there is an unprecedented global crackdown on civil society 
organizations seeking to express their voice and exercise their rights. 
We've seen pervasive restrictions on civil society organizations 
enforced around the globe. Russia, in its worst political crackdown in 
post-Soviet history, has stamped the label of ``foreign agent'' on any 
civil society organization that receives support from other countries. 
Ethiopia's 2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation continues to 
hinder the work of human rights organizations and other civil society 
groups that receive more than 10 percent of their funding from foreign 
organizations. In 2012, Sudanese security forces violently attacked 
civil society representatives who were protesting against government 
restrictions. Egypt has prosecuted over 40 international aid 
implementers, sentencing them to prison for up to five years. In Laos, 
activist Sombath Somphone--a leader who dedicated his career to 
expanding civic space in Laos--has been missing for nearly two years 
after video footage documented his abduction at a police checkpoint. In 
2013, government harassment in Sri Lanka forced the German Friedrich 
Ebert Stiftung Foundation to close its office.
  The developments that we see today have several notable features. 
First, the pushback against democracy is a global phenomenon and 
countries like Russia have established antidemocratic practices that 
are being emulated elsewhere. Second, global democratic reversals are 
not merely temporary aberrations but are likely to pose challenges for 
years to come. Finally, the global response has thus far been 
inadequate to meet these threats.
  Moreover, democratic achievements cannot be taken for granted. A few 
days ago, Hungary's National Investigative Office raided the offices of 
two organizations which help distribute civil society funds from the 
government of Norway. Thirteen NGOs are currently under investigation 
in Budapest, including the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, HCLU, the 
local office of Transparency International, and the Roma Media Centre. 
These raids signal further deterioration of good governance, the rule 
of law, and human rights in Hungary.
  I regret that the Hungarian government is pursuing practices at odds 
with the historic path to freedom Hungary pursued 25 years ago when 
that country opened the door for East German refugees and courageously 
helped pave the way for the end of communism. At a time when we need 
more democracy in Europe, not less, Hungary's actions are not only 
harmful for democracy in Hungary, they undermine efforts to build 
democratic institutions throughout the region.
  To call attention to widespread infringements upon civil society, I, 
as Chair of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 
and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the 
International Day of Democracy resolution. This resolution urges the 
recognition of the International Day of Democracy,

[[Page S5512]]

affirms the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy, and 
encourages all governments to stand with civil society in the face of 
mounting restrictions on civil society organizations.
  We cannot take success for granted; every day we must work to protect 
democratic progress. As we observe the International Day of Democracy 
this September 15, the international community must push back on these 
grave threats to civil society as well as protect the efforts by these 
organizations to build strong democratic institutions.
  I would like to thank my colleagues for joining me in support of the 
International Day of Democracy.

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