[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 146 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6306-S6307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 576, S. Res. 540.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 540) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:
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;
[[Page S6307]]
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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