Consolidating
Democratic Institutions in an Age of Terrorism
Remarks by
the Hon. David Kilgour,
Secretary
of State (Asia-Pacific) and Memeber of Parliament
for Edmonton Southeast,
to the Second
Ministerial Conference of the Community
of Democracies
COEX Inter-Continental
Hotel
Seoul, South
Korea, November
11, 2002
Recently,
Emily Lau, a well-known parliamentarian
in Hong Kong, quipped, “Democracy is
like pregnancy: either you are or you aren’t!”
Some might
argue that this is an oversimplification,
but it does force contemplation of what
it means to be a democratic society. Canada’s
experience with democracy-building in the
Commonwealth, La Francophonie, the Organization
of American States (OAS), the Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Human Security Network, and
other bodies has convinced us that there
can be no single model of democracy, nor
only one way to consolidate democratic institutions.
All genuine democracies do, however, share
two features. First, a system of universal
suffrage in which one person equals one
vote. Second, the ultimate form of checks
and balances: the ability for people who
want to change their government to do so
in a peaceful, institutionalized way.
Democracy
subordinates states to people: voters must
own their governments, not vice versa. Genuine
freedom of religion, speech, association,
and assembly lie at the heart of sustainable
democracies everywhere. No one put it better
than Abraham Lincoln; democracy is government
“of, by and for the people”.
For new and
old democracies alike, empowering civil
society and individual citizens of all ages
and occupations is vital. Speaking to the
need for public responsibility, President
Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic, wrote:
“(We)
must extricate (ourselves) from this terrible
involvement in both the obvious and the
hidden mechanisms of totality, from consumption
to repression, from advertising to manipulation
their televisions. (We) must discuss again,
within (ourselves), a deeper sense of responsibility
toward the world which means responsibility
toward something higher than (ourselves).”
Rule of Law
A genuinely democratic nation thrives on
diversity, inclusion, peaceful dissent,
education for all, vibrant civil societies,
NGOs, and volunteers, and the widest possible
ownership of homes, farms, and enterprises,
including the media. Its backbone is the
rule of law - the strength of which, of
course, is ultimately dependent on the legitimacy
of the law maker.
Can liberty
and democracy be sustained if the judiciary
is not separated from the executive and
legislative branches of government? How
to strike a fair balance between majority
rule and the protection of individual and
minority rights? In Canada, we think that
an independent judiciary with a constitutionally
entrenched Charter of Rights, along with
a real power held by judges to review laws
passed by legislators is the best safeguard
against potential abuses of the rights of
individuals and communities. Some are so
important (for example the right to practise
one’s religion) as to be termed inalienable,
so that removing or reducing such rights
must always be beyond the reach of parliamentarians.
A democracy’s
strength must be measured in terms broader
than the transparency and inclusiveness
of its elections. A nation’s use of
the instruments to support democracy are
vital as well: for example, the use of an
ombudsman, ethics and privacy commissioners,
truly independent commissions against corruption,
committees scrutinizing regulatory measures,
and more.
No Single
Model
Each democracy’s use of such instruments
must be observed in its own unique context.
Outsiders’ efforts to be supportive
of national, regional, and local initiatives
to help foster democracy sometimes only
play into the hands of authoritarian actors
if outsiders appear ready to impose democracy
by force. There are, however, instances
where violations of human rights within
a country grow so severe that there is a
duty to intervene. Wherever possible, local
actors should take the lead in resolving
their own challenges. Foreigners need to
be willing to listen patiently, dialogue,
and provide technical advice and assistance.
But we must never compromise on fundamental
principles, and we must keep our actions
consistent with the protection of human
rights and human dignity under international
law.
If there
is one overriding truth about democracy,
it is that it is precious, but vulnerable.
The greatest threat to democracy does not
always come from the barrel of a gun, but
from the collected effects of poverty, apathy,
and economic insecurity. It is not empty
stomachs, impunity, or corruption alone
that necessarily jeopardize democracy; it
is their accumulated effects. For these
reasons Canada remains committed to the
Human Security Network, the International
Criminal Court and other bodies seeking
to return power to the powerless.
Democracy
and Terrorism
Two goals
which our contemporary totalitarians -terrorists-
now often share are an obsession with weakening
confidence in democratic governments and
dividing national communities. In Canada,
we are more determined than ever since the
events of 9/11 to hold to our multicultural
and non-violent values.
Is respecting
human rights and the dignity of all persons
in a post-9/11 world not more important
than ever for democracies across the world?
We must as
democratic governments also do much more
together to alleviate world poverty, especially
for children who lack proper food, water,
and education; reduce trafficking in light
weapons; bring terrorists and others who
commit “crimes against humanity”
to justice, find peaceful solutions to intra-state
conflicts, and more. Democracy can be strengthened
by ensuring rights and freedom for all -
protecting human security for each of the
over six billion people on this planet has
never been more important.
Finally,
this is Remembrance Day on the calendar
in Canada, when most Canadians wear poppies
out of respect for those of our fellow citizens
who died in wars fought mostly for democracy
– including the Korean war.
The poppy
was adopted from a poem, “In Flanders
Fields” written by a Canadian, John
McCrae, during World War I in Europe.
In Flanders
fields the poppies blow,
Between the
crosses, row on row…
To you from
failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
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