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World Movement for Democracy [1] is an international network of individuals and organizations who share the common goal of promoting democracy.
The World Movement was launched in February 1999 when the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and two nongovernmental organizations in India brought together a cross-section of democracy activists, practitioners, and scholars from over 80 countries in New Delhi [2] for discussions of ways to advance democracy. The participants adopted a Founding Statement [3] launching the World Movement "to strengthen democracy where it is weak, to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is longstanding, and to bolster pro-democracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition." It is intended to unite the global community of democracy advocates and practitioners; to facilitate exchanges of information, knowledge, and experiences; and to build cross-border solidarity. The World Movement is led by an international steering committee, and NED currently serves as its secretariat.
A "network of networks", [4] the World Movement has led to the establishment of regional networks, including the African Democracy Forum (ADF), the Latin America and Caribbean Network for Democracy (LAC Network), and the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA), as well as functional global networks, including the Global Network on Local Governance (GNLG), the International Women’s Democracy Network (IWDN), the Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI), and the World Youth Movement for Democracy (WYMD).
The World Movement has held five global assemblies [2] since its founding in New Delhi in 1999: São Paulo, Brazil (2000); Durban, South Africa (2004); Istanbul, Turkey (2006); Kyiv, Ukraine (2008); and Jakarta, Indonesia (2010). It has also initiated two major projects [5] as a result of assembly discussions: The Defending Civil Society project was launched in 2006 in collaboration with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) to respond to efforts among an increasing number of governments to close down civil society space, particularly for democracy and human rights groups, through new “NGO laws” and restrictions on international funding.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis. WSIS Forums have taken place periodically since then. One of the Summit's chief aims is to bridge the global digital divide separating rich countries from poor countries by increasing internet accessibility in the developing world. The conferences established 17 May as World Information Society Day.
The United Nations Global Compact is a non-binding United Nations pact to get businesses and firms worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation. The UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiative, with 13,000 corporate participants and other stakeholders over 170 countries. The organization consists of a global agency, and local "networks" or agencies for each participating country. Under the Global Compact, companies are brought together with UN agencies, labor groups and civil society. Cities can join the Global Compact through the Cities Programme.
The AEGEE, or Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe, known as European Students' Forum in English, is the largest transnational, interdisciplinary student organisation in Europe.
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organisation founded in 1987. Based in Arlington, Virginia, United States, the organization assists and supports elections and electoral stakeholders. Since 1987, IFES has worked in 145 countries and has programs in more than 50 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and the Americas.
In regards to the United Nations, the Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly is a "global network of parliamentarians, non governmental organizations, and scholars" that advocates for representatives, not only states, to have "a direct and influential role in global policy."
The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is a non-governmental cooperative organization founded in 1895 to unite, represent and serve cooperatives worldwide. The ICA is the custodian of the internationally recognised definition, values and principles of a cooperative in the ICA Statement on the Cooperative Identity. The ICA represents 315 co-operative federation and organisations in 107 countries.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance is an intergovernmental organization that works to support and strengthen democratic institutions and processes around the world, to develop sustainable, effective and legitimate democracies. It has regional offices in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and West Asia, and North America. The organization is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Fund for Peace is an American non-profit, non-governmental research and educational institution. Founded in 1957, FFP "works to prevent violent conflict and promote sustainable security."
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) is an international network of NGOs, with a membership of over 2,500 organizations worldwide advocating for a fair, effective and independent International Criminal Court (ICC). Coalition NGO members work in partnership to strengthen international cooperation with the ICC; ensure that the court is fair, effective and independent; make justice both visible and universal, and advance stronger national laws that deliver justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The CICC Secretariat is hosted by the Women's Initiative for Gender Justice and it is based in The Hague.
The Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (CUNPA) is a global network of more than 300 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 1,500 current and former parliamentarians from around 150 countries devoted to establishing a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly.
The North–South Centre, officially the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, is a Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, the oldest political organisation of European states.
The African Democracy Forum (ADF), is a regional network launched in Abuja, Nigeria in October 2000. It comprises civil society organisations, media institutions, community based organisations, academic institutions and donor entities that work on democracy, democratic research, protection of human rights, upholding the rule of law and promoting good governance through the twin principles of transparency and accountability in the African continent. ADF also acts as a platform for mutual support and sharing of resources for over 450 organisations and individuals. The ADF is a regional network of the World Movement for Democracy, a network of organizations from around the world advocating for democracy. The ADF uses the strength and knowledge of its members to create a strong network of communication. Its members include leading human rights and democracy activists who use their experiences to teach others.
The Forum of Federations is an international organization based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It develops and shares comparative expertise on the practice of federal and decentralized governance through a global network. The Forum and its partners comprise a global network on federalism.
The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) is an initiative of the National Endowment for Democracy in the United States. CIMA works to improve the development of independent media worldwide while working to strengthen the support for such development. The center works to improve the effectiveness of existing media development efforts by conducting research and bringing together a broad range of experts to share their experiences. CIMA's mission is based on the conviction that free and independent media play an indispensable role in developing sustainable democracies around the world.
The World Youth Movement for Democracy (WYMD) was created in 2004 at the Third Assembly of the World Movement in Durban South Africa by an international body of young democracy and human rights activists. WYMD is a branch of the World Movement for Democracy, and it retains the organization's core values such as the belief in a broad-based democracy that adapts itself to different cultures. WYMD promotes a set of values, including rule of law, human rights, and free media, in all societies, and it works to create these values in some countries and strengthen them in others. In addition, the Youth Movement has several more specific, youth related purposes. It serves as a means for youth activists to come together to share ideas, network, and collaborate on projects, which helps further their knowledge of democracy issues and provides them with a practical skill set.
Media development involves capacity building for institutions or individuals related to freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity of media, as well as transparency of media ownership. Media development plays a role in democracy and effective democratic discourse through supporting free and independent media.
The World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization.
The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2017 by a coalition of civil-society activists and disarmament practitioners, with the aim to rid the Middle East of all weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This proposal is in line with the 1970s proposal for a Middle East nuclear weapon free zone, albeit with broader scope following the 1990 Mubarak Initiative to include chemical and biological as well as nuclear weapons.