Declaration of the Summit for Democracy

Today, President Biden and the leaders of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Zambia opened the second Summit for Democracy, which gathered leaders from around the world to spur further action to strengthen democratic resilience, demonstrate how democracies are delivering for citizens, and highlight how democracies are best equipped to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

As a testament to the shared desire of people and governments around the world to advance lasting peace, prosperity, and human dignity, the United States is pleased to join over 70 governments and authorities in endorsing the Summit for Democracy Declaration.

The Declaration was developed and negotiated by an intergovernmental coordination body that included participation from over 65 governments and authorities from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. To allow all Summit for Democracy participating governments and authorities the opportunity to endorse the text, the Declaration will remain open for endorsement following the conclusion of the second Summit.

Inter alia, the Declaration affirms the endorsing parties’ political commitments to:

• Protect human rights, media freedom, and rule of law;
• Ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses;
• Support people, including in Ukraine, who stand for freedom and reject aggression;
• Combat all forms of discrimination and exclusion, including by strengthening women’s rights;
• Prevent and combat corruption;
• Advance technology that works for, and not against democracy;
• Defend against transnational threats, including foreign malign influence and foreign information manipulation;
• Support free and fair elections; and
• Address global challenges, including sustainable development, climate change, global health, and food security.