The birth of the United Nations Democracy Fund.

• Author: Dossal, Amir

AMONG THE MANY ADVOCATES of freedom in the last century, the United Nations has been an important one, committed to spreading democracy around the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enunciated the essentials of democracy and, since its adoption by the General Assembly in 1948, has inspired constitution-making and has contributed greatly to the eventual acceptance of democracy as a universal value. This normative value system was reaffirmed in the 2000 Millennium Declaration.

The development of human rights standards, the implementation of the right of all peoples to self-determination, and assistance to good governance and electoral assistance have been among the United Nations key approaches to promote democracy. The Organization has also served as a forum for the development of specific initiatives, such as the movement of New and Restored Democracies, initiated by the Philippines following its democratic transformation in the late 1980s. The United Nations, its agencies and programmes are increasingly involved in assistance to democratic processes worldwide. Over the past decade, it has had some concrete results in assisting countries in democracy and democratization, helping one of every three parliaments in developing countries. It is also working with countries emerging from a violent past to build democratic institutions and strengthen civil society.

Recent elections in Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia and Palestine were symbolic of the profound changes these societies are undertaking. However, elections in themselves do not constitute democracy. The UN approach to elections is to stress the process rather than the event. The numerous parallel processes-such as the empowerment of civil society and the development of political parties; the acquisition of political identity through electoral registration and voter education; the formation of interest groups; the development of a legal and institutional framework for ensuring respect for human rights; the evolution of an independent judiciary; and ensuring public access to information-give elections its full democratic meaning. These aspects of a supportive environment is necessary for genuine democratization.

In the 2000 Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, States resolved to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to assist countries to implement the principles and practices of democracy. While UN achievements have been significant...