Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is honored to join more than 500 political, civil leaders, Nobel Laureates and pro-democracy institutions who have signed an open letter to defend democracy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The novel coronavirus pandemic poses grave threats to democracy. As PGA has previously noted, the “COVID-19 pandemic has touched every corner of the globe and underscored the inequities in our societies... In a climate of fear, marginalized sectors of society already living in precarious circumstances may confront further alienation and victimization.” Authoritarian leaders have attempted to exploit the crisis by curtailing civil and political freedoms beyond what the health situation requires; consolidating their authority under the auspices of emergency powers; and dismantling such core principles as the checks and balances, separation of powers, and independence of the judiciary.
We are proud to stand as one of 73 pro-democracy institutions and alongside and civic leaders around the world, including 13 Nobel Laureates and 62 former heads of state and government in “A Call to Defend Democracy,” an open letter initiated by the Stockholm-based International IDEA and the Washington-DC-based National Endowment for Democracy. The letter is aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing citizens and policymakers to protect democracy. However, true to our name, PGA believes in going beyond words to take action.
Tomorrow, 30 June 2020, marks the International Day of Parliamentarianism, and parliamentarians have a key role to play during the pandemic to defend democracy. Through our core Campaign for Democratic Renewal and Human Rights, including a newly established Parliamentary Rapid Response Team (PARRT), we are committed to take decisive action when democratic values and human rights are at risk to realize our vision “to contribute to the creation of a rules based international order for a more equitable, safe and democratic world.”
The full text of the Call to Defend Democracy and list of individual and institutional signatories is available here: www.idea.int/news-media/multimedia-reports/call-defend-democracy