[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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