Live Session: Building trust between citizens and public institutions in emergency situations

This session will be held in Spanish with English interpretation. See below a summary of the Live Session in English.

Live Session: Fomentar la confianza entre ciudadanos e instituciones públicas en situaciones de emergencia

La COVID-19 llegó a América Latina cuando la región acarreaba una serie de problemas estructurales que ya habían socavado gravemente la relación entre ciudadanos e instituciones públicas. La llegada del patógeno provocó un mayor deterioro de la calidad democrática. La gestión de la crisis impulsó una personalización acelerada de la política, una concentración de poder en manos del ejecutivo, y la cancelación o posposición de numerosas elecciones. En ciertos contextos, las medidas de emergencia también proporcionaron un terreno fértil para una degradación de los derechos fundamentales.

Reconstruir una relación de confianza entre ciudadanos e instituciones públicas es esencial para construir democracias resilientes y liderazgos efectivos, capaces de gestionar de forma efectiva una emergencia. ¿Qué deben hacer los líderes políticos para reavivar la confianza de los ciudadanos en las instituciones públicas? ¿Y cómo deberán actuar ante futuras situaciones de emergencia para mantener esa confianza y responder con eficacia?

Únase a esta Live Session de Club de Madrid, integrada en las deliberaciones de la Comisión Mundial sobre Democracia y Emergencias, para analizar las lecciones aprendidas de la gestión de la pandemia de COVID-19 en América Latina e identificar medidas a tomar para fortalecer el liderazgo político y la confianza pública en la capacidad de las instituciones públicas a enfrentarse a los retos del futuro.
8 de Octubre
17:00 CEST / 11 EDT

Inscríbase

Participantes

Kevin Casas Zamora, Vicepresidente de la Comisión Mundial sobre Democracia y Emergencias, Secretario General de IDEA Internacional, Vicepresidente de Costa Rica (2006-2007).
-Jorge Quiroga, Presidente de Bolivia (2001-2002) y Miembro de Club de Madrid
Rut Diamint, Profesora de Ciencia Política, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella y Asesora de Club de Madrid.
Maria-Noel Vaeza, Directora regional para América Latina y el Caribe de UN Women 
Lia Zevallos, Secretaria General de Ashanti Perú – Red Peruana de Jóvenes Afrodescendientes.

Live Session: Building trust between citizens and public institutions in emergency situations

For citizens to trust their leaders, it is paramount that elected representatives act in the interests of the population. In democracies, mechanisms of transparency and accountability exist to guarantee just that. Yet COVID-19, an emergency in which governments were called upon to make public health decisions with major trade-offs, has put citizens’ trust in leaders and institutions to the test.

Latin America, a region besieged by structural problems that have severely undermined citizens’ trust, has seen an increased personalization of politics with the onset of COVID-19. Power concentrated in the hands of executive leaders, with fewer checks and balances than usual. Elections were postponed or delayed. And in certain contexts, emergency measures provided fertile ground for a degradation of fundamental rights. COVID-19 also exacerbated inequalities, with the health and economic crisis disproportionately affecting those who lacked access to healthcare, education, decent housing and social protection.

Rebuilding trust between citizens and public institutions is essential for democratic resilience, even more in emergency situations. What should political leaders do to rekindle the trust of citizens and act effectively in future emergencies? What should political leaders do to keep the functioning of democracy in emergencies? How can democratic leaders build a better toolbox to protect whatever trust capital they have when the next crisis comes around?

Join our Live Session, part of Club de Madrid’s Global Commission on Democracy and Emergency, to analyze the lessons learned from Latin America during COVID-19 in political leadership performance and measures to foster greater public trust in governments’  emergency response.
8 October
17:00 CEST / 11 EDT

Register

Speakers

Kevin Casas Zamora, Vice-President of the Global Commission on Democracy and Emergencies, Secretary General of IDEA International, Vice-President of Costa Rica (2006-2007).
-Jorge Quiroga, President of Bolivia (2001-2002) and Club de Madrid Member
Rut Diamint, Professor of Political Science, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella and Club de Madrid Advisor.
Maria-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of UN Women. 
Lia Zevallos, Secretaria General of Ashanti Perú – Red Peruana de Jóvenes Afrodescendientes.