At the Community of Democracies’ first ever Governing Council session to feature a discussion with the private sector, the Member States called on governments to engage with the private sector and civil society to better respond to challenges in advancing the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and 17 (strengthening global partnership for sustainable development).

In a Statement on Democracy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the 30^th Governing Council session (June 14^th,2019, Warsaw), Member States acknowledged a strong interdependence between democratic order and economic and social development; underscored the importance of partnerships with the private sector, civil society and human rights defenders; and called on states to provide an enabling environment, consistent with international law, that maximizes the contributions of civil society to development.

‘At the 30^th Governing Council session, the private sector was invited to speak on the contribution it can make to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda.  I welcome this Statement as an important step towards closer collaboration between states, civil society, and businesses to advance global and national partnerships to achieve peace, justice and strong institutions’’- said the CoD Secretary General Thomas E. Garrett.

The Statement also highlighted the consistency between the UN 2030 Agenda and the democratic principles of the Community’s Warsaw Declaration, which emphasizes the interdependence between peace, development, human rights and democracy. The Governing Council Members encouraged countries within and outside of the Community to uphold the principles of the Warsaw Declaration, promote democracy across the world, and support inclusive democratic processes on societies.

Please click here to download the full statement: