On 15 September, the IPU and parliaments around the world celebrate the International Day of Democracy, first established by the United Nations in 2007 in its resolution A/RES/62/7.
In that resolution, the United Nations noted that "while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy" and that "democracy does not belong to any country or region". The International Day of Democracy is meant both to celebrate democracy and to serve as a reminder that the need to promote and protect democracy is as urgent now as ever.
The choice of 15 September for the International Day of Democracy corresponds to the adoption in September 1997 by the IPU of a Universal Declaration on Democracy. That Declaration affirms the principles of democracy, the elements and exercise of democratic government, and the global scope of democracy.
The theme of the 2011 International Day of Democracy is What do citizens expect from their parliament?. The IPU is organizing a series of activities around this theme and has encouraged parliaments to mark the International Day of Democracy through their own activities devoted to the promotion of links between parliaments and citizens.
The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity for parliaments and citizens to engage in a fresh dialogue about people's expectations of their government, the role of parliament and how to strengthen democracy. Some key questions include:
- Why is constituency work growing? How is it changing?
- What does this mean for parliamentary representation?
- How have parliaments and parliamentarians responded to this change?
- How can constituency service be linked to the work of parliament as a whole?
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