LITHUANIA TOOK OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES

Modern Democracy shipwreck

LITHUANIA TOOK OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES 2009-07-13
On 11-12 July in Lisbon (Portugal), Vice-Minister of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Šarūnas Adomavičius took part in the Ministerial Meeting of the Community of Democracies.
During the Ministerial Meeting, challenges and problems of spreading democracy around the world, and the impact of the economic and financial crisis were discussed. The participating countries shared their best practices of effectively developing and consolidating democratic principles and rules. The Ministerial Meeting issued a Lisbon Declaration on the most important commitments that were necessary in order to consolidate and secure democratic values worldwide. On 12 July in Lisbon, Lithuania took over the biennial chairmanship of the Community of Democracies from Portugal. Lithuania’s key priorities of the chairmanship are: for the countries of the Community of Democracies to set a visible and active example of democracy and to lend support, to involve as many governments into this movement as possible, as well as representatives from the academic community and civil society from all regions of the world.
According to Vice-Minister Š.Adomavičius, one of the ways to increase the efficiency of the Community of Democracies is by enhancing the coordination of positions of the countries of the Community of Democracies in regional and international organisations, firstly, in the United Nations. Š.Adomavičius asserted that during its chairmanship of the Community of Democracies, Lithuania would aim at laying the foundations for the task. This autumn in New York during the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly, Lithuania is planning to organize a high-level meeting, the goal of which is to consolidate support for the United Nations Convening Group of the Community of Democracies, Democracy Fund and the activities of the Community of Democracies. The Community of Democracies is an intergovernmental structure, democracies and developing democracies can take part in its activities. The goal of this organisation is to strengthen and deepen democratic norms and practices worldwide. The Community of Democracies is based on the Charter of the United Nation and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Community of Democracies was established in 1999 at the initiative of the U.S.A. The initiative was spearheaded by 10 countries from all continents. Currently, the Community of Democracies is comprised of over 100 countries. The Community of Democracies is chaired by its co-conveners and its chairmanship is rotated every 2 years. The chairmanship of the Community of Democracies has been held by Poland, South Korea, Chile, Mali, and Portugal.