Council for a Community of Democracies

Regional Roundtables

Thanks to a grant awarded in 2009 by the United Nations Democracy Fund, CCD organized five regional roundtables around the world for civil society leaders to meet and discuss their ideas on how to strengthen democracy prior to the Vilnius Ministerial in 2011.

February 22-24, 2010: The Pretoria Roundtable on Democracy in Africa

Civil Society Participants at CCD's Africa Roundtable

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, and in partnership with the African Democracy Forum and the Institute for Democracy in Africa (IDASA), CCD held its first of five regional roundtables on democracy from February 22-24 in Pretoria, South Africa. More than 40 participants from 15 countries gathered to discuss the issues facing democracy in Africa, with the goal of developing recommendations on democracy promotion to the Community of Democracies and democratic governments from around the world while further discussing civil society efforts to support the ratification of the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

CCD's report on the Pretoria Roundtable may be read here.

September 28-30, 2010: The Ulaanbaatar Roundtable on Democracy in Asia

Civil Society Participants at CCD's Asia Roundtable

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, and in partnership with the Center for Citizen's Alliance, the World Forum for Democratization in Asia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia, CCD's second of five regional rountables on democracy was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from September 28-30, 2010.

CCD's report on the Ulaanbaatar Roundtable may be read here.

January 9-10, 2011: The Doha Roundtable on Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa

Civil Society Participants at CCD's MENA Roundtable

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, and in partnership with the Arab Democracy Foundation, CCD's third of five regional rountables on democracy was held in Doha, Qatar from January 9-10, 2011.

To read more about this conference, click here.

The recommendations compiled at the Doha Roundtable can be found in the ISC's Recommendations that were presented at the Vilnius Ministerial. To view them, please click here.

April 7-9, 2011: The Rosario Roundtable on Democracy in the Americas

Civil Society Participants at CCD's Americas Roundtable

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, and in partnership with the Latin American & Caribbean Network for Democracy (LACND), the Argentina New Generation Foundation and the World Movement for Democracy, CCD helped organize a 3-day meeting on issues related to the CD working groups in Rosario, Argentina from April 7 - 9, 2011. Over 80 civil society leaders and democracy activists from the region attended and discussed issues such as gender equality; good governance & corruption, enabling & protecting civil society; democracy education and others.

To read more about this conference, click here.

The recommendations compiled at the Rosario Roundtable can be found in the ISC's Recommendations that were presented at the Vilnius Ministerial. To view them, please click here.

May 25-26, 2011: The Brussels Roundtable on Democracy in Europe

Civil Society Participants at CCD's European Roundtable
Pictured (left to right): Richard Youngs (Executive Director of FRIDE), Roel von Meijenfeldt (ISC/CD Member and Chair of the European Partnership for Democracy), Pierre Vimont, (Executive Secretary General of the EEAS), Amb. Ina Marčiulionytė (Chief Coordinator, Lithuania’s Presidency for the Community of Democracies), and Heather Grabbe (Open Society Institute Brussels)

Under a grant from the United Nations Democracy Fund, and in partnership with the European Partnership for Democracy, CCD helped organize a 2-day meeting on issues related to Europe's increasing role in supporting democracy efforts around the world. Held in Brussels, Belgium from May 25-26, this final regional roundtable brought together nearly 40 international civil society representatives to discuss the situations in Egypt, Belarus, and the role of the European Union in response to the Arab Spring.

To read agenda for this conference, click here.

CCD's report on the Brussels Roundtable may be read here.