A side event titled "Democracy and Human Rights" was convened on March 25, 2025, in the margins of the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The event, hosted by CIVICUS and Democracy Without Borders with several partner organisations co-sponsoring, brought together diplomats, experts, and civil society representatives to discuss the proposed mandate of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy. The proposed new independent position aims to support democratic resilience and development worldwide at a time when civic spaces are shrinking in many countries.
According to the CIVICUS Monitor, over 72% of the world's population now lives under repressive conditions, marking an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to 2023.
Shrinking Civic Space and Democratic Regression
Sigrid Lipott, CIVICUS' UN Advisor in Geneva, opened the event by highlighting the alarming trend of shrinking civic space globally. The organisation's latest State of Civil Society report indicates that democracy is undergoing "significant regression" worldwide.
This democratic crisis is exacerbated by disinformation, the rise of autocratic and military rule, restrictive laws, and foreign interference. As fundamental civil rights are more easily attacked where democratic freedoms erode, the crisis of democracy represents a major civic space crisis.
While 2024 was hyped as a "super election year" that demonstrated both vulnerabilities and resilience of democracy, the proposed UN Special Rapporteur would help countries address common challenges related to electoral democracy and participatory mechanisms.
Building on UN's Support for Democracy
Andreas Bummel, Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders, emphasised that the foundation for the new mandate was the UN's consistent support of democracy from its foundation to the present. He noted that while there is no single model of democracy, UN resolutions and instruments adopted over time constitute an "actionable definition."
The mandate could be linked to Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which affirm everyone's right to participate in government.
Bummel suggested that the new rapporteur could investigate "common challenges and best practices of democratic governance" while also addressing key gaps in the existing Special Procedures system related to election integrity, separation of powers, parliamentary oversight, and mechanisms of direct citizen participation.
Expert Perspectives
Dalia Leinarte, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, highlighted how her experience confirmed growing disrespect for democracy. She argued that a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy was necessary to complement existing mandates that deal with particular rights and freedoms.
Evie Papada, Research and Policy Analyst at V-Dem Institute, reinforced this need by citing V-Dem data showing that "both the fairness of elections and the autonomy of Electoral Management Bodies has been steadily diminishing during the past decade," an issue not currently covered by UN mandates.
Enrique de Obarrio, President of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy, noted that democratic governance systems are reflected in the 19 principles of the Warsaw Declaration of the Community of Democracy adopted 25 years ago. He advocated for establishing a new "multi-sector platform."
Global Perspectives
Annika Silva-Leander, UN Permanent Observer at International IDEA in New York, stressed that the need for a Human Rights Council mandate on democracy has never been more urgent, while noting that "democracy remains a universal aspiration for many member states" in both the Global North and South.
Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Executive Director of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), emphasised that Southeast Asia demonstrates why this mandate is "urgently needed." She noted that democratic institutions were "under attack" in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos.
"Democracy is a universal aspiration, not a Western construct... The UN cannot afford to stand by and watch as democracy erodes further." - Yuyun Wahyuningrum, APHR
Growing Support for the Initiative
The idea of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy first originated ahead of the Summit for Democracy in late 2021. On December 10, 2023, marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, civil society groups and think tanks launched a joint statement calling for such an appointment.
Currently, the statement is endorsed by 175 institutions and approximately 500 individuals, including current or former policy makers and democracy experts.
The side event in Geneva was co-sponsored by several organizations including International IDEA, Society for Threatened Peoples, Parliamentarians for Global Action, Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD), and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights.
