NEW YORK: Democracy is a universal value based will of people to determine their own political‚ economic‚ social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives.
While democracies share common features‚ there is no single model of democracy. Activities carried out by the United Nations in support of efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate democracy are undertaken in accordance with the UN Charter‚ and only at the specific request of the Member States concerned.
The UN General Assembly‚ in resolution A/62/7 (2007) encouraged Governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy‚ and also decided that 15 September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy.
The subject of this year’s theme — Strengthening Voices for Democracy — aims to shine a spotlight on the importance of people’s voices‚ both expressed directly and through their elected representatives‚ in today’s political‚ economic‚ social‚ developmental‚ environmental and technological debates. The ability of people to raise their voices and decide how they are governed lies at the heart of democracy.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is promoting the International Day of Democracy through its Member Parliaments in 162 countries around the world.
“Democracy remains the only path for the people of Pakistan to accomplish the cherished goals of progress and prosperity,” PPP Patron-in-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.
Bilawal said Pakistan People’s Party‚ which has given unpatrolled sacrifices for the cause‚ will continue its struggle for strengthening democracy in the country.
