International Day of Democracy today

Dunya News

International Day of Democracy is being observed on September 15 of every year.

The observance of International Day of Democracy (IDD) is a celebration of the values of freedom, respect for human rights, and the principle of holding genuine elections by universal suffrage.The theme of this year’s IDD celebration is “Democracy Education” to emphasize the need for “all citizens in all nations to fully understand their rights and responsibilities, especially in countries that have been recently transitioned to more democratic societies.”It is for this reason that the United Nations has continually urged governments to strengthen their national programs devoted to promoting and consolidating democracy, and enjoined regional and other intergovernmental organizations to share their experiences in its promotion, because “while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy” and “democracy does not belong to any country or region.”On November 8, 2007, the UN General Assembly, by virtue of Resolution A/62/7, declared September 15 of every year as International Day of Democracy.The first IDD was celebrated in 2008, on the 20th Anniversary of the first International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, which accorded people a chance to focus on promoting and consolidating democracy worldwide.