Since July 2009, Lithuania has been chairing the Community of Democracies. Lithuania chairs the Community, which is comprised of over 100 countries, until 2011.

Goals and priorities of Lithuania’s chairmanship of the Community of Democracies:

1. To crystallize the mandate of the Community of Democracies and to adjust it to the current issues. 

2. To achieve that the Community of Democracies dedicates more attention to the democratisation of European Union’s neighbours in the East, the Middle East and Africa.

3. To initiate and draft statements of the troika of the Community of Democracies on threats to democracy in the face of conflicts and crises. 

4. To strengthen the role of the Community of Democracies in the United Nations.

5. To make cooperation between the governmental and nongovernmental structures on the issues of democracy promotion more active.

Planned events:

• Launch of Lithuania’s Presidency. Round table in Vilnius, Seimas (the Parliament) (14 September, 2009);
• Annual Ministerial meetings during UNGA in New York, UN Democracy Caucus meetings in New York and Geneva;
• Forum for the Future of Democracy in Kiev, Ukraine (21-23 October, 2009);
• CD workshop on building democracy in cooperation with the European Parliament and European Partnership for Democracy in Brussels (2009);
• CD workshop in India (4-5 December 2009);
• CD panel on transatlantic cooperation in the margins of Brussels Forum (Spring 2010);
• Joint event in cooperation with youth organizations and NGOs during Lithuania’s Presidency of the CBSS (Spring 2010);
• CD Workshop with Democratic Youth/Summer Camp (Summer 2010);
• Round table on democratic activities during Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship (2011);
• CD panel within Global Internet Governance Forum to discuss the use of modern technologies for democracy development, Vilnius (Autumn 2010);
• 10th CD Anniversary Summit in Krakow (2010);
• Vilnius CD Ministerial (2011).

EU POLITICIANS CALL FOR MORE ACTIVE EU ENGAGEMENT IN DEMOCRACY BUILDING. 16 November 2009.

LITHUANIA CONVENED THE FIRST MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE MEMBER STATES AND OBSERVERS OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES IN NEW YORK. 25 September 2009. 

LITHUANIA IS DETERMINED TO DEVELOP REGIONAL COOPERATION OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES. 03 September 2009. 
LITHUANIA TOOK OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES. 13 July 2009.



Statements on behalf of the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies

STATEMENT BY THE CONVENING GROUP OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ON 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE. 15 January 2010.

STATEMENT BY TROIKA OF COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ON DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI IMMEDIATE RELEASE. 26 October 2009.
COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES STATEMENT ON HONDURAS. 24 September 2009.

STATEMENT OF THE CONVENING GROUP OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY. 14 September 2009.

THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES CONGRATULATES THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN. 26 August 2009.



Statements and  Speeches

INTERVENTION BY PROF. JERZY BUZEK, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AT THE INFORMAL COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION "NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN DEMOCRACY BUILDING: EUROPEAN UNION AND THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES". Brussels, 16 November 2009.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF LITHUANIA VYGAUDAS UŠACKAS AT THE INFORMAL COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION "NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN DEMOCRACY BUILDING: EUROPEAN UNION AND THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES". Brussels, 16 November 2009.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF MALTA TONIO BORG AT THE INFORMAL COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION "NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN DEMOCRACY BUILDING: EUROPEAN UNION AND THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES". Brussels, 16 November 2009.

STATEMENT OF LITHUANIA‘S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS VYGAUDAS UŠACKAS AT THE INFORMAL MINISTERIAL OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES. The United Nations, New York, 24 September 2009.

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE BY PAUL GRAHAM AT THE INFORMAL MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES. New York, 24 September 2009.

STATEMENT BY ŠARŪNAS ADOMAVIČIUS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, AT THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES. Lisbon, 11-12 July 2009.

The Community of Democracies

History and Structure. The Community of Democracies (hereafter – CD) is an intergovernmental structure (just yet not an organisation in the classical sense). Democracies and developing democracies take part in its activities. The goal of this organisation is to strengthen and deepen democratic norms and practices worldwide. The Community of Democracies is based on the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Currently the Community of Democracies is comprised of over 100 countries (members are countries that are invited to take part in biennial ministerial conferences).

The idea of the Community of Democracies was conceived in the United States of America (the U.S.A.) in 1999. The Community itself was inaugurated at the first biennial ministerial conference on 25-27 June 2000 in Warsaw. The initiative of establishing the Community of Democracies was spearheaded by the then Polish Foreign Minister B.Geremek and U.S. Secretary of State M.Albright along with ten conveners (the so-called Convening Group, CG):

• The Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal (Europe);
• Chile, Mexico, the U.S.A. (South and North Americas);
• South Korea, India (Asia);
• South Africa, Mali (Africa).

In 2006, the Convening Group was expanded by adding the Philippines, Mongolia, Morocco, El Salvador, Cape Verde, and Italy. In July 2009, Lithuania assumed chairmanship of the Community of Democracies and de facto became its 17-th convening member.

The Convening Group (CG) is an executive institution of the Community of Democracies. It convenes in Washington at the level of ambassadors of the represented countries. Decisions are made by consensus.

Members of the Convening Group chair the Community of Democracies. The chairmanship rotates on a biennial basis. Another mechanism of the structure is the foreign ministers’ troika: ministerial meetings of the past, present, and future chairs of the Community of Democracies.

During those meetings, organisation of ministerial conferences and other current issues are discussed. In December 2008, at the initiative of the Portuguese Chairmanship, the Convening Group made a decision that troika would make official statements on behalf of the Community of Democracies.

The Community of Democracies has already been chaired by Poland, South Korea, Chile, Mali, and Portugal.

Activities. In 2000 in Warsaw, members of the Community of Democracies adopted the Warsaw Declaration, which recognized the universality of democratic values and a necessity to respect and uphold core democratic principles.

In 2003 in Seoul, the Seoul Plan of Action was adopted; it foresees actions for strengthening democracy. The statement on terrorism was made as well to denounce terrorism as a threat to democracy, peace and security.

In 2005, the Santiago Ministerial Commitment of the Community of Democracies was adopted. It affirmed the commitments of the Community of Democracies to promote the participation of citizens in the democratic process, to reduce poverty, to support regional and interregional cooperation, to respond to the threats to democracy (especially terrorism). In order to implement these commitments, four working groups were established:

1) Working Group on Democratic Governance and Civil Society;

2) Working Group on Poverty, Development, and Democratic Governance;

3) Working Group on Regional and Interregional Cooperation for Democratic Governance;

4) Working Group on Promoting Democracy and Responding to National and Transnational Threats to Democracy.

In 2007 during the ministerial conference in Bamako (Mali), a decision was made to establish a Permanent Secretariat with headquarters in Poland. Poland nominated the Executive Director of the Permanent Secretariat (Prof. Bronislaw Misztal) and selected its staff. In the end of 2008, the Secretariat started its activities in Warsaw.

In 2009 during the ministerial conference in Lisbon (Portugal), the Final Declaration was issued, procedure documents regarding the activities of the Community of Democracies were adopted, and the Bronislaw Geremek award was conferred on famous anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela for his merits to democracy. The declaration on Honduras was adopted, which expresses concern regarding a threat to democracy after the overthrow in Honduras.

The Role of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs). In addition to the governmental component, the Community of Democracies has its non-governmental component, which is represented by civil society organisations. The non-governmental component serves as a source of information and advice to the governments. An Executive Secretariat, composed of NGO representatives from the chairing country, coordinates the activities of the non-governmental process in preparation for the upcoming ministerial meetings. The NGOs that participate in the activities of the Community of Democracies also established a Global Issues Group. Recently, the Global Issues Group has become the International Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is made up of 20 representatives of civil society organizations from 5 regions of the world and a representative of the Executive Secretariat.

For more information please visit the official website of the Community of Democracies.

CONTACTS:

Secretariat of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Community of Democracies

J. Tumo-Vaižganto str. 2, LT-01511 Vilnius, Lithuania
cod@urm.lt
Tel: +370-5-236 2578
Fax: +370 5 231 3090
www.urm.lt

Chief Coordinator, Ambassador-at-Large

Žygimantas Pavilionis
zygimantas.pavilionis@urm.lt
Tel: +370-5-236 2414

Permanent Secretariat

Office: +48 22 319 56 22 ∙ Fax: +48 22 319 56 28
Al. Ujazdowskie 41, 00-540 Warsaw, Poland
Executive Director
Prof. Bronislaw Misztal