International Day of Democracy: declaration by the PACE Bureau

To mark its support for the UN International Day of Democracy on 15 September, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted the following statement:

"The perception of a decline in democratic values triggered by the economic and financial crisis is growing in Europe and beyond. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has for some time been sounding the alarm, pointing to the diminishing trust of citizens in democratic institutions and political leadership, low electoral turnouts and increasing popular support for, xenophobic and populist parties. With the gap between citizens and their democratic institutions widening, the Assembly hails this year's Day of Democracy focus on dialogue and inclusiveness as central factors for democracy.

Pluralist democracy, together with the respect for human rights and the rule of law, are the cornerstones of European society, which the Council of Europe has the duty to preserve and promote. The Parliamentary Assembly believes that the traditional model of democratic governance can be modernized to meet the new realities and that the current crisis must be turned into new opportunities. This can be pursued through a more open dialogue, bold decisions and implementation of new forward-looking ideas. What is needed is a common response to the challenges facing democracy, which the Parliamentary Assembly will promote through the forthcoming European Conference of Presidents of Parliament (Strasbourg, 20-21 September 2012) and the World Forum for Democracy (Strasbourg, 5-11 October 2012).

The young generation is the hardest hit by the crisis throughout Europe. The Parliamentary Assembly remains particularly adamant that young people should be more actively engaged in decision-making, democratic processes and the shaping of a more cohesive, prosperous and just society. In a recent resolution, it warned that "if no tangible improvements are made, Europe risks not only producing a "lost generation" of disillusioned young people, but also undermining its political stability and social cohesion, justice and peace, as well as its long-term competitiveness and development prospects in the global context". Young people are a key asset for Europe and their voice needs to be heard and heeded. To this end, the Parliamentary Assembly will host a European Youth Assembly (Strasbourg, 5-7 October 2012), which will bring together about 170 young people and members of the Parliamentary Assembly from all member States and beyond in order to develop together specific recommendations related to youth and democracy, for the attention of the World Forum on Democracy." -0-