September 15: International Day of Democracy

International Day of Democracy is observed every year on September 15 across the world to strengthen democracies and highlight their importance.

Key facts

• The International Day of Democracy 2022 focused on highlighting the key role played by media freedom in safeguarding the democracy, maintaining peace and achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
• It was observed with the theme “Protecting Press Freedom for Democracy”.
• This is significant as, according to the UNESCO, 85 per cent of the global population are experiencing a deterioration in press freedom in their country over the past five years.

Background

The International Day of Democracy was created after a resolution was passed by the UN General Assembly in the year 2007. This UNGA resolution sought to strengthen and consolidate democracy. The International Day of Democracy was celebrated for the first time in 2008.

Why this day is observed?

The International Day of Democracy is celebrated to uphold and honor the democratic values at the international level. Democracy is a form of government in which the government is directly elected by the people. This day gives the opportunity to review the state of democracy across the world. It aims to achieve ideal democracy, which can be realized only when everyone from everywhere are benefited from democracy. This can be achieved only through full participation of people and support from international community, national governing bodies, civil societies and individuals.

Key findings of the Democracy Index 2021

1. In the Democracy Index 2021, which was released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Asia was ranked fourth, behind North America, West Europe and Latin America.
2. India, with a total score of 6.91, was ranked at 46^th position under the category of flawed democracies.
3. India received the lowest rating of 5 for political culture and the highest rating of 8.67 for pluralism and electoral process.
4. It was scored 6.18 for civil liberties, 7.22 for political engagement and 7.50 for effective government.

Month: Current affairs - September, 2022

Category: Important Days & Events Current Affairs • Reports & Indexes Current Affairs