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Summit for Democracy Newsletter: March 7th 2024
Newsletter
Dear Summit for Democracy Friends,
We hope all is well with you! Ahead of the third Summit for Democracy, March 18-20, we started again to release weekly Summit4Democracy newsletters to keep you informed. During the week of the Summit, we will release daily newsletters.
The Summit4Democracy newsletter is a joint initiative of the Global Democracy Coalition powered by Accountability Lab and International IDEA. The newsletter seeks to ensure that organizations involved in the Summit for Democracy and related processes are able to stay up-to-date on the activities, issues, and initiatives that emerged from those processes.
Would you like to submit to the newsletter and the S4D News and Resource Portal? Use our form here.
Summit for Democracy Updates
- The third Summit for Democracy, themed 'Democracy for Future Generations,' will be held from March 18-20, 2024, in Seoul, announced by the President of the Republic of Korea. Registration for participants and media is open on the official Summit website.
- The three-day event includes:
- Day 1 (March 18): Ministerial conference and expert roundtable discussions on "Technology and Democracy," focusing on democratic innovation using emerging technologies.
- Day 2 (March 19): Cohort, Civil Society, and Youth Day featuring sessions and exhibition booths showcasing their work in shaping future democracy. Supported by various organizations, activities will be held at the COEX Center, Seoul.
- Day 3 (March 20): Virtual Summit Plenary with Heads of State and interventions from civil society.
- For further information on the Summit for Democracy, especially around Day 2’s Cohort, Civil Society and Youth Day, check out the Summit for Democracy Resource Portal here.
S4D Stakeholder Updates
- The Youth Democracy Cohort published #YouthInAction – Promoting a Culture of Youth Political Participation
- The Civic Space Cohort, co-chaired by Norway, the Czech Republic, and ICNL, will host a panel on "Protecting Digital Civic Space." The panel will take place on Day 2 of the Summit for Democracy from 4:30 - 6:00pm at the COEX Center.
- The co-leads of the Financial Transparency and Integrity (FTI) Cohort, International Cooperation for Anti-Corruption Cohort, and Anti-Corruption Policies Cohort will convene a session during the morning (KST) of Day 2 (March 19) of the third Summit for Democracy (S43) in Seoul. The session will examine progress, challenges, and the use of technology in advancing anti-corruption priorities and commitments identified through the democracy cohorts. The session will be open to the public and will include audience Q&A. Livestream may be available.
- The International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the Australian Election Commission will host a showcase on the Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections (BRIDGE) training module on disability rights and elections on March 19th at 9:45am in Room 301 of the COEX Center in Seoul. This disability rights cohort session is open to all participants, including government officials, civil society, and technology companies. Utilizing BRIDGE’s interactive learning format, participants will learn how to include people with disabilities in all aspects of the electoral cycle, including as voters, candidates, poll workers and election observers. A focus will be put on inclusion of young people with disabilities, and how to mitigate the unique barriers they experience as a result of ableism and ageism. Sample commitments that states can make around disability-inclusive democracy and governance, developed in consultation with disability rights advocates from around the world, will be shared with all participants.
- 2024 Global Democracy Coalition Forum: The 2024 GDC Forum will convene between 11 – 15 March 2024 in the lead up to the third Summit for Democracy. Anticipated as a week-long celebration for democracy, the 2024 Forum will include regional fora held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Accra, Ghana; Barcelona, Spain; and Seoul, South Korea, culminating in its final convening day in South Korea on 15 March. For more information and to register to attend: https://globaldemocracycoalition.org/forum-2024/"
- Partners for Democracy Day 2024: The GDC is organizing its second Partners for Democracy Day, scheduled for March 19, 2024. The event aims to provide an additional platform for civil society, international organizations, academic institutions, think tanks, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector, to engage in the Summit for Democracy and the global democracy debate.
- P4D event submissions will be accepted until 11:59pm EST/5:59am CET on March 14
- Are you interested in having your event or cohort included in the next S4D newsletter? Submit your event or highlight through our submission form here.
Other S4D News
- The Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security (ACDS) team at the Brookings Institution argues that Anti-corruption progress at the Summit for Democracy is essential to safeguarding democracy. Feel free to send any feedback to JKatz@brookings.edu and RLewis@brookings.edu.
- The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned two individuals and five entities associated with a commercial spyware consortium ahead of the third Summit for Democracy.
- BNN News gave a summary of the major themes of the Summit for Democracy.
- The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) made a review of the “Code of Conduct for Enhancing Export Controls of Goods and Technology That Could be Misused and Lead to Serious Violations or Abuses of Human Rights” that was adopted at the second Summit for Democracy in 2023. The Code of Conduct forms part of the Export Control and Human Rights Initiative launched at the first Summit for Democracy in 2021 and outlines a range of steps that the 25 signatory states will take to use export controls to regulate the trade in so-called cyber-surveillance tools
- In anticipation of the third Summit for Democracy (S4D3) and against the backdrop of a year marked by significant elections, Wilton Park created a report on the Future of the Summit for Democracy: How to Maintain International Support.
Relevant Tools and Resources
The Summit For Democracy.org newsletter is a joint output of the Global Democracy Coalition, powered by Accountability Lab and International IDEA.
Cover Photo: Photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash
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