We pause today to reflect on and celebrate democracy and the free and open debate it entails.
We celebrate democracy not because it is easy or perfect, for it is obviously neither of those things.
We celebrate democracy because it is rooted in the will of the people, and, as such, does a better job than any other form of government in respecting the rights of individuals, solving problems peacefully, and building enduring prosperity.
Only democracy allows a country to benefit from the full energy and talent of its citizens, and from the progress and innovation that the unconstrained flow of ideas can create.
That is why ordinary people everywhere are working to make this fundamental principle a reality.
This past year, we saw peaceful democratic transitions in Sri Lanka and Nigeria. We saw an outpouring of popular support for constitutional term limits in Africa, and the courage of activists around the world who are demanding governments that are accountable, inclusive, transparent, and honest.
There are few ideas more powerful – more infused with universal aspiration – than democracy. But democracy has never been an automatic fact – a birthright on autopilot. It is an opportunity that must be renewed and revitalized by each generation.
That is why the United States will continue to stand up and speak out when authoritarian governments crack down on civil society, imprison peaceful reformers, silence legitimate dissent, or enact legislation that violates the freedoms of worship, speech, and press. The UN’s theme this year - Space for Civil Society – is a powerful reminder that a strong and independent civil society is an essential starting point for a strong and independent country.
As we strive within our own country for a more perfect union, we will continue to stand with activists on the front lines and ordinary people around the world to meet shared challenges, to uphold our shared values, and to safeguard freedom and justice for all.
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In Ukraine, a brutal, bloody war caused by Russian aggression continues, claiming lives, destroying homes, demolishing infrastructure, and inflicting incalculable harm on the environment and surrounding natural ecosystems. Ukraine, more than anyone else in this world, strives for peace, as we bear the daily brutality of this Russian-Ukrainian war. We are at the forefront of the struggle for the right to life, freedom, and justice. Ukraine seeks a just peace that will lay a solid foundation for a stable future for Europe and the World, and the only way of achieving this is to implement President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula (the Ukrainian Peace Formula).
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On the eve of a large-scale flood approaching Baku, a disturbing incident occurred in the village of Buzovna, where a Lada Priora car fell into the ground, literally collapsing the road beneath it. The driver miraculously remained unharmed but vowed to seek justice, promising to file an official complaint with the prosecutor’s office against Azersu OJSC, the state-owned water supply and sewerage company, often associated with deeply rooted corruption.
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In a bit of historic irony, powerful oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili has managed to inspire rare unity across Georgia’s cacophonous political scene twice in his life. His money and influence forged the broad-based consolidation of opposition forces that brought him to power in 2012, and now, 12 years and three electoral cycles later, a similar pattern of opposition convergence could send him packing.
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Russian authorities and pro-Kremlin influencers have been spreading false information about alleged Reporters Without Borders (RSF) research into Nazi tendencies within the Ukrainian military, which was featured in a viral video falsely attributed to the BBC. RSF exposes the inner workings of a disinformation campaign designed to justify President Vladimir Putin's war narrative.
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