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Uzair Younus weighs in on Pakistan’s decision to skip the Summit. While the decision was ostensibly made to maintain its relationship with China, Younus argues that it will have an overall negative impact on Pakistan’s goals and its relations with the US. He gives three reasons for this conclusion: The decision reinforces that Pakistan is … Continued
Transparency International welcomed the announced US initiatives at the Summit, which show promise for fighting corruption and safeguarding democracy. They recommend that the Summit hosts and participants design an inclusive and participatory process throughout the Year of Action to deliver on their goals. Meaningful engagement with civil society will be key to this process. Read … Continued
Stephen M. Walt considers the potential merits and drawbacks of the Summit with regard to different framings of the current global state of democracy. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the idea, it is unclear what the ultimate goal of the initiative is, and flawed American democracy at home harms US credibility in promoting … Continued
Ben Fishman of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy considers the potential for the Summit to impact democracy in the Arab World, from which only Iraq was invited to the Summit. The Arab Uprisings of ten years ago have not translated into better democratic outcomes, with reforms following the protests “wholly or partly aimed … Continued
Yasmeen Serhan critically considers in the Atlantic how far diplomacy can go in effecting more democratic governance, emphasising that for lasting change to occur, the impetus and drive must come from within. Diplomacy “can pressure and promote more democratic practices, but it is not what drives democracy forward”, as democratisation is a process that occurs … Continued
Max Bergmann of the Center for American Progress addresses some common criticisms of the Summit, arguing that the initiative is a valuable effort that holds great potential for supporting democracy. Success hinges on the momentum set off by the initiative for leaders to feel empowered and democracies across the globe to support each other in … Continued
The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security organised a series of private workshops with officials and experts from leading democracies to discuss the plans for the Summit. The memo outlines insights and recommendations for moving forward. The memo recognises the strategic significance of the Summit, and gives suggestions for avoiding pitfalls during the … Continued
Aarya Nijat of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) discusses the Summit with different voices from South Asia. The discussion reflects on five questions: challenges to democracy in the region, the relation between South Asia and the global trend of democratic backsliding, opportunities for reversing the trend, the role South Asian countries can play … Continued
Laura Thornton in The Hill criticises the undemocratic closed-door nature of the preparations for the Summit and lack of participation by civil society, making suggestions for a more dynamic, open and inclusive approach moving forward. The Year of Action following the Summit will be crucial, during which time follow-up events can provide inspiration, innovation and … Continued
John J Stremlau in the Conversation considers the African context regarding the participation of the seventeen African country invitees to the Summit. The immediate context in Africa is considered in terms of the three issues on the agenda: defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting human rights. Read the full piece in the Conversation here.
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