International IDEA and The Voice, Inc invite you to the Melanesia launch of the State of Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Report on Tuesday, 7 December 2021, at 10:00 PGT / 11:00 AEDT. The Report provides incisive and relevant data, analysis and policy guidance on the challenges and opportunities to democratization in Asia and the Pacific – covering the region from Central Asia to Oceania- and is designed to inform, influence, and help shape the agenda for the future of democracy.
The Covid-19 pandemic placed considerable stresses on democracy across the region by requiring inevitable restrictions on movement and—where governments were sensitive to criticism—also restrictions on freedom of expression. Despite these challenges, many countries were able to manage the pandemic while also respecting basic democratic principles and freedoms, even coming up with institutional and electoral innovations. Across the region, the assaults on democratic freedoms intensified popular demands for political reform.
The Melanesia launch of the Report will focus on the state of democracy in three Melanesian countries; Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. How is democracy developed in these three countries over the last decades, and what has been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on quality of democracy Melanesia. What are the advances and where are the shortcomings? What can be done in order to safeguard democracy?
The Asia and the Pacific: Old Resilience and New Challenges is part of Global State of Democracy report, published every two years, based on Indices providing information on 116 democratic indicators for 165 countries.
This event is one of the more than 35 webinars of the Global Coalition for Democracy, a global multi-stakeholder gathering in a virtual forum to be held for 24 hours on 7 December. Convened by International IDEA, the Global Democracy Coalition aims to galvanize a global conversation on democracy, as inputs to the Summit for Democracy to be held on 9 and 10 December 2021.
SPEAKERS
Dr Kevin Casas Zamora, Secretary-General, International IDEA
Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii
Leena Rikkila Tamang, Director for Asia and the Pacific, International IDEA
Romulo Nayacalevu, Former Governance Manager, MSG Secretariat
Douveri Henao, Executive Director of the PNG Business Council
Serena Sasingian, Founder, The Voice, Inc and Member of the Board of Advisers of International IDEA