In November 2022, the Global Democracy Coalition (GDC) facilitated a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) to gather GDC members’ reflections and recommendations for the second Summit for Democracy, scheduled for 29–30 March. That effort culminated in a report with recommendations. This new report builds upon the previous one by sharing reflections and options for a post-Summit process. It distils the views of GDC members, solicited through an online survey, five online FGDs, and two brainstorming sessions held during the month of February 2023.
In total, 48 members of the GDC took the online survey, giving their views on the Summit for Democracy and recommendations for its future. The GDC conducted the five online FGDs the week before the GDC Forum 2023 in late February 2023, and 12 representatives from 12 GDC members participated. Dozens of attendees took part in the two brainstorming sessions, which were conducted at the GDC Forum, hosted jointly in Brussels and Washington, D.C., on 28 February and 1 March 2023.
With the next Summit for Democracy taking place at the end of March 2023, the GDC hopes that the recommendations outlined below will provide Summit planners with a menu of actionable ideas and suggestions that encourage and generate meaningful participation by civil society and other stakeholders. If taken up by Summit planners, the recommendations below can help to capture what has been achieved by the process to date, as well as addressing existing gaps, incorporating valuable ideas for the way forward and generating the essential momentum necessary to achieve meaningful outcomes. The specific recommendations outlined below rose to prominence over the course of this initiative. They may not all represent the views of all partner organizations in the GDC and should therefore be read as a menu of proposed suggestions, rather than a strict checklist.