Threats to Democracy: Prevention and Response: Report of an Independent Task Force Sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations (Council on Foreign Relations)

The work of the international community of democratic states does not end when a country's people choose democracy. Rather, democratic governments must endeavor to help one another nurture and maintain their democracies. In particular, governments must work to secure more effective international action against coups d'etat and erosions of democracy, which continue to plague countries on the democratic path. This report by leading civil society, academic, and former government figures from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East recommends preventive and responsive measures that will enable the international community of democratic states to act quickly and collectively against threats to new democracies.

The work of the international community of democratic states does not end when a country's people choose democracy. Rather, democratic governments must endeavor also to help one another to nurture and maintain their democracies. In particular, governments must work to secure more effective international action against coups d'etat and erosions of democracy, which continue to plague countries on the democratic path. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed this best when he stated, " Wherever democracy has taken root, it will not be reversed." This reportthe work of an Independent Task Force composed of leading civil society, academic, and former government figures from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle Eastdevelops a framework for the coordination of international community action against such threats to democracy. It recommends preventive and responsive measures that will enable the international community of democratic states to act quickly and collectively. The Task Force argues that helping countries maintain and consolidate democratic gains is consistent not only with the values but also with the security interests of the world's democracies. Democratic states are less likely to breed terrorists or to be state sponsors of terrorism They are less likely to go to war with one another and are more likely to be active participants in the global economy. The report concludes that ultimately the international community can encourage democracy to take root and flourish only by showing the citizens of nondemocratic countries that democracy is both beneficial and sustainable over the long term. The recommendations in this report provide one importantset of tools for doing so.

This reportthe work of an Independent Task Force composed of leading civil society, academic, and former government figures from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle Eastdevelops a framework for the coordination of international community action against such threats to democracy. It recommends preventive and responsive measures that will enable the international community of democratic states to act quickly and collectively.

This report by leading civil society, academic and former government figures from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East recommends preventive and responsive measures that will enable the international community of democratic states to act quickly and collectively against threats to new democracies.