The Community of Democracies: Walking Together on the Everlasting March to Democracy

Thank you Mark. I am honored to be here today with Foreign Minister Cimoszewicz and Deputy Foreign Minister Cho. Thanks also to Adrian Karatnycky and Freedom House for hosting this event. The efforts of Freedom House and of other non-governmental organizations are a key factor in the success of the Community of Democracies and are greatly appreciated. Franklin Roosevelt once described democracy by saying "Democracy is not a static thing. It is an everlasting march." I agree with that description because certainly democracy is the system that best feeds the human need for autonomy, fulfillment, and self-determination, and people will always be drawn to its promises.

However, at the time Roosevelt made this statement in the 1930s, the "everlasting march" to democracy was a somewhat lonesome walk because the number of truly democratic countries was relatively small and growing ever smaller under the threats of totalitarianism. So I would update his description with this addition -- that on that march, democracies need not walk alone. In fact, that is the purpose of the Community of Democracies -- to bring together free nations to support one another in their own democratic development, in regional cooperation, and international promotion. And that is why the U.S. Government believes that it is an important and highly beneficial initiative deserving of our support.

Today, we stand just over two months from the next Community of Democracies meeting in Seoul, Korea. As we anticipate where we will go in that meeting, I think it is useful to look at how far the Community of Democracies movement has come. The inaugural conference in Warsaw was a great accomplishment, bringing together 107 countries as it did. It was an historic meeting because it brought nations together not on the basis of geography or ethnicity but on the basis of a shared commitment to democratic values and institutions. It was also a meeting that was filled with meaning, in large part because the host country, Poland, itself provided a tremendous lesson in democracy. Having risen from under communism and totalitarianism, Poland is an example of democratic progress and how even a young democracy can act as a partner -- indeed a leader -- to others. Poland continues to make great contributions to the democratic movement, especially to strengthening the Community of Democracies.

The Warsaw meeting reaffirmed the basic principles of democracy. It began with the premise that peace, development, human rights, and democracy are fundamentally linked and then went on to affirm universal democratic values like equality, free expression, and due process. But the impact of the meeting lasted far after it was adjourned as nations began to build coalitions to implement the concepts discussed there. For instance, exactly one year ago tomorrow, the Organization of American States adopted the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Though it was overshadowed by the tragedy on September 11, the Charter was a momentous event in which the Western Hemisphere agreed upon a set of democratic values and provided mechanisms for the defense and advancement of those values.

The United States believes that we have a great opportunity to use the Seoul Ministerial to build upon that action-oriented spirit and focus on concrete ways to strengthen democracy where it exists and to encourage democracy where it does not yet exist. We hope that a plan of action will be produced that encourages, among other things, public-private partnerships between governments and non-governmental organizations to support democratic reforms and the development of democratic institutions to smother the popular discontent that is sometimes the fuel of terrorism. Toward that end, ministerial roundtables will examine the consolidation of democratic institutions, regional cooperation to promote democracy, the media and democracy, and coordinating democracy assistance. Each of the themes of the roundtables has an action-oriented focus.

This conference is an opportunity for nations to both look inward at where there is room for improvement in their own democratic institutions, as well as a chance to look outward at other nations for lessons of specific reforms. It is an opportunity for countries to recognize that democracies in their region make safer neighbors, better trade partners, and stronger allies. And that it is in each of our interests to promote democracy in our region. It is in our interest and it is our responsibility.

In particular, attention should be focused on principles of good governance and on a democratic government’s responsibility to its citizens to be transparent and accountable. A country’s obligation to educate its citizens so that they might be full participants in democracy should also be a primary topic.

We have benefited from many non-governmental organizations’ ideas on education -- an area that is often neglected. In this conference, we should strive not to merely talk about democracy but to formulate concrete solutions to problems that face democracies at all levels. It has been said that the taste of democracy can become bitter when the fullness of democracy has been denied. This conference should look at real ways to avoid that kind of democratic setback.

Additionally, regional action must be emphasized in Seoul and beyond. If a nation has a democracy deficit, it can be addressed much more effectively by its neighbors than by other countries. Every democratic country must take that responsibility for guiding and assisting its neighbors. Each nation must be a steward of democracy.

Along those same lines, it is our profound hope that this conference be a truly cooperative effort in which all nations can be both teachers and students of democracy. The Seoul conference -- indeed the Community of Democracies movement as a whole -- should not be dominated by any one country. This is a global initiative, which we have seen so clearly through the strong leadership of the Polish Government and now the Korean government. We earnestly seek the contributions of all democracies in Seoul and afterward in the implementation of the plan of action to be reached. I think that we are already off to a good start toward that goal. One need only to look at the diversity of the convening group to see that the Community of Democracies is a strong multilateral effort. South Korea, India, Mali, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Mexico, and Chile have all made remarkable contributions to this complex undertaking.

Likewise, the Seoul conference will be more than an inter-governmental collaboration. There will be a substantial cooperation with non-governmental organizations who will be holding a meeting concurrent with the ministerial conference. It will be important to forge closer ties between governments and non-governmental groups because full democracy should be undergirded by a strong civil society which holds governments accountable to their citizens. While governments offer a democratic skeleton, an active civil society is needed to put the flesh on those bones and form a vibrant democracy.

In sum, two months from now, we will have a real opportunity to make the quality and the quantity of democracy better worldwide. The participating countries may come to the table in Seoul with diverse and even divergent interests. But we will be united by our commitment to freedom, equality, and prosperity. By facilitating that unity, the Community of Democracies has already been -- and will continue to be -- a valuable player in insuring that the everlasting march to democracy moves ever forward around the world.