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The UN General Assembly convened 192 world leaders and delegated officials last week in New York in a context of global polycrises: the war in Ukraine, high debt burdens and economic fragility of developing countries resulting from the lingering effects of the pandemic and the climate emergency.  

Following the Second Summit for Democracy on 29-30 March 2023, International IDEA produced the report:  Democratic Engagement after Two Summits for Democracy: Reviewing the Impact and Providing some Reflections for the Future, which looked into the impact of the Year of Action and the Second Summit.

This report seeks to contribute to the success of the Summit for Democracy process by drawing lessons from the Year of Action and Second Summit and presenting opportunities for shaping an inclusive and effective Third Summit for Democracy.

This paper provides an overview of the purpose, work and outputs of the 16 Democracy Cohorts established or announced by February 2023 in the context of the Summit for Democracy organized by the US Government.

The main contribution of the Democracy Cohorts to the Summit for Democracy process is as key drivers of change by following up on and scaling up existing commitments, and establishing a vision for democratic renewal beyond the Second Summit.

The first Summit for Democracy, held in December 2021, brought together leaders from governments, representatives of the European Union and the United Nations with some involvement of civil society and the private sector. The objective was to set out an agenda for democratic renewal.

International IDEA views the Summit for Democracy as a strategic opportunity to place democracy at the front and center of the global agenda. The war in Ukraine underscores, even more, the need for democracies to stand united in the face of authoritarian threats. International IDEA has therefore developed a strategic engagement programme around the Summits for Democracy in 2021 and 2023 and the Year of Action 2022.

The number of democracies in the Americas remains the same as two years ago despite the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, most of the democracies in the region demonstrated great resilience in the face of the pandemic. Parliaments, the judiciary and the media of most democracies in the region managed to adapt and continue to exercise their control functions, even in the midst of numerous restrictions that hampered their work.