Danilo Türk, President of Club de Madrid and former President of Slovenia, and Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium and Member of Club de Madrid, will hold a press conference to present proposals from the organisation’s latest activities, including its Policy Dialogue 2021 ‘Rethinking Democracy’, its contributions to the Secretary General’s Our Common Agenda report and its Global Commission on Democracy and Emergencies.
Club de Madrid has recently concluded its 2021 Annual Policy Dialogue ‘Rethinking Democracy’, a three-day conversation that resulted in innovative ideas and proposals to further develop democratic systems and regain citizens’ trust. Feeding also on the research of three working groups on information ecosystems, responsible leadership and resilient institutions, Club de Madrid has recently released a Concluding Document ‘Our Commitment to Democracy’.
Acknowledging the numerous challenges that democratic systems are facing and ahead of the upcoming US-led Summit for Democracy, the Document urges democratic leaders to redouble efforts in countering authoritarian interferences and influences in democratic countries and international organisations, setting up early warning mechanisms for democratic backsliding, combating corruption and changing the culture and practice of leadership recruitment, among many other proposals.
For two years now, Club de Madrid has been advocating for an inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism and has actively supported the UN75 process. By releasing its own document, the organisation has contributed proposals to the Secretary General’s ‘Our Common Agenda’ Report. Club de Madrid included in its own report the need to develop and reinforce the UN’s social development pillar by holding a World Social Summit in 2025. Read more about it in the recent op-ed by President Türk – with María Fernanda Espinosa – published in Project Syndicate on “A New Vision for Global Cooperation“.
Throughout the year 2021, Club de Madrid has also set up a Global Commission on Democracy and Emergencies, a conversation among Club de Madrid Members, political leaders and policy experts to analyse, based on the COVID-19 experience, how democratic systems can increase their resilience when addressing emergencies and crises situations. The Global Commission is about to release its final document including recommendations to enhance democracy’s ability to function, to deliver, to be trusted and to command the enduring commitment of citizens in the midst of emergency situations and the subsequent recovery process.
Both Danilo Türk, who is also a former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs (2000-05), and Yves Leterme will present conclusions and future work from the initiatives outlined above and from other relevant activities by Club de Madrid.
