Summary Report: Roundtable on Democratic Decline and the Establishment of a UN Mandate on Democracy
A roundtable convened by CIVICUS and Democracy Without Borders in collaboration with the Human Rights Foundation on the margins of the Oslo Freedom Forum (25–28 May 2025) brought together around twenty participants with experience in international civil society, intergovernmental organisations, academia, human rights monitoring mechanisms, and national governments. Participants included individuals with current or former roles in United Nations special procedures, regional democracy initiatives, legal experts and analysts of global governance, as well as prominent activists, with geographic representation spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The purpose of the meeting was to explore the global deterioration of democratic governance, the nexus between human rights and democracy, and the proposal to establish a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Democracy (UNSRoD).
The Oslo Freedom Forum is an annual gathering organised by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) that brings together human rights activists, journalists, policymakers, and technologists to share stories, strategies, and solutions for advancing freedom and democracy around the world.
State of Democracy and the UN’s Role
The meeting opened with reflections on the alarming state of democracy in many countries around the world. Sigrid Lipott, UN Lead for CIVICUS Geneva, described widespread democratic regression affecting both emerging and established democracies. It was noted that democracy provides the essential framework in which human rights can flourish. Reference was made to global monitoring data suggesting that over 72 percent of the world’s population now lives under repressive conditions. Ichal Supriadi added that the erosion of human rights affects democracy and vice versa.
Participants observed a growing influence of authoritarian regimes and the marginalisation of democracy-related language and mechanisms within the United Nations. Andreas Bummel, Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders, noted the omission of references to democracy in the UN’s 2024 Pact for the Future despite active efforts to include them during negotiations.
At the same time, CIVICUS referenced recent Human Rights Council Resolutions reaffirming the importance of democratic rights and the need to counter backsliding. These resolutions, reinforced at the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council, have consistently emphasised the mutually reinforcing relationship between democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. A recent resolution, adopted by consensus, underscored transparency, participation, and accountability as core to sustainable development and peace.
This resolution built on a prior joint statement by a cross-regional group of 50 states which encouraged the UN human rights system to pay greater attention to the democratic health of states and issue recommendations to support resilience.
Nevertheless, several participants described the UN as “Missing in Action” on matters of democracy, a space now exploited by authoritarian states to legitimise their rule.
Contributors called for a compelling narrative linking democracy to key concerns such as security, inequality, and economic development—especially in a climate where authoritarian governance models may seem more stable or effective in public perception.
Strategic Considerations, Relevance and Risks
The proposal for a UNSRoD was examined as a possible tool to strengthen democratic governance. Supporters viewed it as a high-impact, low-cost mechanism to elevate democracy within the UN’s human rights architecture. Areas highlighted included election integrity, checks and balances, effective parliaments, transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.
Mantas Adomėnas, Secretary-General of the Community of Democracies, described the need for such a mandate in the context of a “triple global crisis”: institutional breakdown of multilateralism, narrative dominance of authoritarian models, and geopolitical shifts away from democratic leadership.
Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, expressed concern about the feasibility of creating a new mandate amid the UN’s financial strain and the pressure to cluster or reduce existing mandates. Others warned about the risk of the position being co-opted by illiberal regimes without clear terms and safeguards in the appointment process.
Still, momentum on democracy remains. Participants referenced Guatemala’s recent submission to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights seeking an advisory opinion on the autonomous right to democracy.
Lisbeth Pilegaard, Chair of the Executive Committee of the European Endowment for Democracy, emphasised the urgent need for political leadership in advancing the UNSRoD proposal. Others questioned whether existing mandates could instead be expanded to address the same issues.
Regional Dynamics
Political will emerged as a central challenge. While informal dialogues suggest some governments may support the idea in principle, few have stepped forward publicly. One participant cited governments’ geopolitical caution as a key reason for this silence.
Participants highlighted dynamics in Africa and other regions of the Global South, noting how some regimes present democracy as foreign or incompatible with local culture in order to delegitimise it. These narratives undermine both national and global pro-democracy efforts.
The Way Forward
Participants expressed mixed levels of optimism. Some saw the current moment as too constrained to support a new mandate, while others argued that waiting would only strengthen authoritarian forces already exploiting the vacuum.
“The discussion on the new mandate in itself is already a part of regaining democratic initiative at the UN.”
“The Oslo Freedom Forum is proud to provide a platform where bold ideas like a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy can be discussed freely,” said Javier El-Hage, HRF’s Chief Legal and Policy Officer. “This initiative reflects the urgency of reinforcing democratic norms globally, with a focus on countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, especially within the UN system itself.”
