United Nations: The commemorative event for the International Day of Democracy organized today at the United Nations (UN) highlights the need to promote a sustainable response to the current crisis, based on multilateralism and the rule of law, Prensa Latina reports.
It also seeks to make visible the challenges of democracy in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to its organizers.
UN Secretary General, António Guterres, assured that since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the health emergency has been used in a variety of countries to restrict democratic processes and civic space.
In his message for the International Day of Democracy, marked on September 15, the headline indicated that this trend is especially dangerous in places where the roots of democracy are superficial and institutional checks and balances are weak.
As the world faces Covid-19, democracy is crucial to guarantee the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to the pandemic, the UN’s highest representative considered.
Furthermore, he added that the current crisis in the wake of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus highlights and exacerbates long-forgotten injustices and that, along with the profound human cost, these inequalities are themselves a threat to democracy.
In his official Twitter account, Guterres expressed that before the pandemic, the frustration of many people in the world increased and trust in public authorities decreased.
Now, governments must do more to listen to people and their demands for change, he said.
The Secretary General also stressed the need to build a more egalitarian and inclusive world, with full respect for human rights.
