In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe September 15th as the International Day of Democracy. The preamble of the resolution affirmed that: "while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy and that democracy does not belong to any country or region...democracy is a universal value based on the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life."

Since 1987, IFES?an independent, non-governmental organization providing professional support to electoral democracy?has been working in over 100 countries. To mark the International Day of Democracy, we have asked our Chief of Parties around the world and our staff in DC for updates on how democracy is faring in the regions and countries they work on.

Africa:

"Dominating the headlines out of Africa in the past few years have been the few dramatic failures of democracy. Nigerian elections in April 2007 were widely viewed as flawed, resulting in the victory of the outgoing president's handpicked successor in the face of unheeded calls for the nullification of results and numerous overturned legal challenges. December 2007 elections in Kenya were also manipulated in the incumbent's favor, causing a nationwide political, economic, and humanitarian crisis that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people. Most recently, Zimbabwe's June 2008 runoff presidential election was characterized by a total suppression of civil liberties, widespread and brutal political violence, and ballot stuffing, drawing international condemnation. The restoration of these people's faith in democracy and trust in government will require long-term reconciliation and reform.

"Despite these setbacks, Africa has also boasted several successful democratic transitions in recent years. For example, Liberia's first post-conflict elections in 2005 and Sierra Leone's first elections in the absence of peacekeeping troops in 2007 both proceeded remarkably peacefully and were hailed as generally free and fair. Moreover, these elections saw Liberians vote into office Africa's first female president and Sierra Leoneans peacefully transfer power between parties for the first time. More recently, Ghana's hotly contested 2008 presidential election affirmed that country's position as one of the continent's most promising democracies as the opposition party candidate won the presidency and his opponent gracefully conceded defeat. These success stories provide hope for the future of democracy in Africa, and care must be taken that this hard-earned progress not be taken for granted but further solidified and advanced." Almami Cyllah, Regional Director, Africa

Indonesia:

"Indonesia has much to celebrate on International Democracy Day and deserves recognition for reaching ten years of impressive democratic transition following 32 years of authoritarian rule. This year Indonesians actively and peacefully participated in the 2009 legislative and presidential elections. The April 9, 2009 parliamentary elections saw Indonesia's Constitutional Court hand even more responsibility to its citizens in choosing their parliamentary representatives, and innovations in representation and peace building for Aceh allowed local political parties to compete alongside national parties for seats in the provincial legislature. While still actively in the process of consolidating and strengthening democracy at the local and national level, the Indonesia's achievements stand out in Southeast Asia and on the larger world stage. Indonesia's ongoing democratic transition serves as an example of democracy's ability to broker compromise and consensus within a politically, ethnically and religiously diverse nation.' Adam Schmidt, Chief of Party, Indonesia

Latin America:

"Latin America has much to celebrate this Democracy Day. Almost twenty years have passed since the last of the region's military regimes transitioned back to democratic forms of governance and the work of democratic consolidation continues in most of the region's countries. 2008 saw the election of former Catholic Bishop Fernando Lugo as president of Paraguay, the country's first non-Colorado party president in more than half a century. 2006 saw the inauguration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the country's second non-PRI president after the 2000 election of President Vicente Fox ended the PRI's more than 70-year monopoly on presidential power in Mexico. However, much work remains and a number of disturbing trends threaten the region's hard fought democratic consolidation over the past three decades. Drug trafficking continues to fuel corruption of public officials and institutions in many of the region's countries and most recently has contributed to a frightening wave of violence in Mexico that has taken the lives of public officials, police and military officers, journalists, and ordinary citizens alike. In addition, popular leaders in a number of the region's countries, such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua are attempting to or have successfully altered or completely dismantled presidential term limits in their respective countries. Most notable among these are Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who received voter approval in a referendum earlier this year for a constitutional amendment which eliminated term limits on all elected offices, and Honduran President Manuel ?Mel' Zelaya, who attempted an illegal referendum to amend his country's term limits that eventually resulted in his removal from office four months prior to the November general elections. President Zelaya's ouster has been the source of considerable controversy in the Americas. But, the fact that both sides, those who supported his removal and those who did not, cite a concern for democratic values in support of their respective positions is promising and indicates that, while much work remains for those seeking to strengthen Latin American democracy, Zelaya's ouster will probably not be a harbinger of a return to the days of the Cold War when military coups were commonplace and many of the region's countries lived under the authoritarian rule of military-backed juntas." Eric Lynn, Program Officer, Americas

Pakistan:

"Pakistan has returned to democracy and faces the historic challenge of making this a strong and lasting form of government. One of the most important factors in achieving this is strengthening of the democratic process through much needed electoral reform. Without such reform the next election, likely to be extremely competitive, might endanger the political stability of this fragile democracy and all the development efforts made so far. The IFES team in Pakistan is proud to make a significant contribution to improve the electoral environment towards a future strong and stable democracy." Peter Erben, IFES Chief of Party in Pakistan