Secretary Antony J. Blinken Summit for Democracy 2023 Closing Remarks.

What was the second Summit for Democracy, and what were some of the commitments made by participating countries during the summit?

On March 30, 2023, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken closed the second Summit for Democracy, which was attended by heads of state and representatives from more than 100 countries, leaders of subnational governments, and partners from civil society and the private sector. The summit was launched by President Biden to strengthen democracy worldwide and recognize democracy as a powerful tool for delivering for people.

The summit included commitments from participating countries to strengthen democratic values and institutions, combat corruption, support a free and independent press, protect civic and human rights, and bolster democratic institutions. For example, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic created new anti-corruption strategies, while France, Slovakia, New Zealand, and the US contributed to initiatives to help independent news outlets become more sustainable and protect journalists. 

Nepal passed legislation to punish perpetrators of acid attacks and rape, while Taiwan lifted barriers to prevent the recognition of transnational same-sex marriage. In addition, there was a focus on combating corruption through the summit process, and the United States led a new Financial Transparency and Integrity Democracy Cohort to bring countries together to share knowledge and experiences.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Summit for Democracy Closing Remarks

And in a very profound way, I believe that’s what distinguishes democracies: our willingness to confront these challenges – out in the open, transparently; to acknowledge our shortcomings – not to sweep them under the rug, not to pretend they don’t exist.  That is one of our greatest strengths.  It’s what we mean in the United States when we commit to the enduring task of forming a more perfect union, Blinken said.

We don’t believe that we hold all the solutions – far from it.  But we do know that when we join together with our fellow democracies, we make one another stronger, more resilient, more responsive to our citizens, and better able to do what we’re here to do, which is to deliver for them – and, I hope, for the world.

So to each of you who are still here hanging in there at the end of the day, thank you.  Thank you for your participation.  Thank you for your engagement – but not just today, every single day – in doing this work.  It matters.  It’s making a difference, and I can think of no recent time in history when it’s been more vital.  So thanks to everyone.  Have a great evening.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

By Gbola Isama MS.