The Community of Democracies are meeting right now in my favorite city, Santiago de Chile, which I think is a fine country to hold such an event in. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is leading the U.S. delegation through this three day event from April 28-30. In the company of the democratic friends, she spoke of no less than the end of political tyranny worldwide.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday it is the historic duty of the world’s democracies to eliminate political tyranny. She addressed officials from more than 100 countries at the Community of Democracies meeting in Santiago.

Ms. Rice has made the promotion of democracy and free-market economics the theme of her current four-nation trip to South America, her first since taking office.

And in her address to the Community of Democracies, she said the world’s democrats should strive for nothing less than the end of dictatorial rule: “Every nation in this room has experienced moments of tyranny in its history, some long ago, some very recently. Today our citizens share the common bond of having overcome tyranny through our commitment to freedom and democracy. Now, it is our historic duty to tell the world that tyranny is a crime of man, not a fact of nature. Our goal must always be the elimination of tyranny in our world,” she said.

The Community of democracies is an informal grouping founded in 2000 to improve and advance democratic governance.

Ms. Rice said the selection of Chile for the group’s third ministerial meeting was a fitting choice, given what she said was that country’s triumphant return to democracy after a 1973 military coup.

In her address, the Secretary of State endorsed a Hungarian proposal to host a Democracy Transition Center to help countries in the process of becoming democratic.

She also urged support for the creation of what she termed a legitimate human rights body within the United Nations.

The Bush administration has been critical of the existing U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva, which earlier this week awarded seats to countries widely accused of human rights violations including Zimbabwe, China and Sudan.

Speaking of the UN, Kofi Annan also gave a speech at this meeting, emphasizing that democracy means more than elections, ironic given that three nations mentioned above who were just awarded UNCHR seats.

28 April 2005 ???????? The United Nations does more than any other single organization to promote and strengthen democratic institutions and democratic practices around the world, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Community of Democracies today.

???????In that work, we are conscious that, while democracy is a universal value, there is no uniform model to be applied,??????? he said in a message to the Community????????s Third Ministerial Meeting in Santiago, Chile, delivered by former President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, who is one of the Secretary-General????????s envoys for next September????????s UN summit.

???????We are fully aware that, while democracy must come from within, international cooperation can help support it. And we have learned that while elections are a vital part of democracy, much more is required,??????? he added.

UN electoral staff is currently helping conduct elections in 45 countries and its human rights staff are at work in 39 countries, while dozens of other countries have benefited from technical or advisory missions and visits from special human rights rapporteurs and other human rights experts, Mr. Annan said.
…
Mr. Annan said the struggle for democracy required not only constant vigilance against unconstitutional seizures of power, but also the provision for the basic well-being of citizens, without which confidence in democracy could decline.

He invited members of the Community to contribute to a new voluntary Democracy Fund ???????? proposed by United States President George W. Bush ???????? that would assist projects to build and strengthen democratic institutions and governance.

Mr. Annan noted that in his ???????In Larger Freedom??????? reform agenda, now being discussed by UN Member States, he proposed a comprehensive strategy for international cooperation on development, security and human rights.

He said he hoped world leaders meeting in September to review the first five years of the Millennium Declaration on reducing or eliminating host of socio-economic ills by 2015 would ???????summon the vision and pragmatism to make far-reaching reforms and to renew the UN, rendering it a more effective instrument of their common purpose.

???????In that effort, the Community of Democracies has a vital role to play ???????? and, I believe, a clear interest in playing it,??????? he said.

I suppose Jimmy Carter is in on this too, as while I cannot name each of those 45 countries they help conduct elections in, I am willing to bet the vast majority of them are those with the most flawed. Freedom House released a statement saying that the UN Democracy Caucus, an outgrowth of the COD, is incredibly weak and must be strengthened in order to prevent human rights abuses from continuously slipping through the UN.

“The Democracy Caucus is still weak, and as a result, gross human rights violations continue to get a free pass at the UN,” said Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer. Windsor. “It is therefore of extreme importance that the current leadership of the Community of Democracies emboldens, empowers, and unites the Caucus. An endorsement of the Secretary General’s plan would be a significant step toward correcting the worst flaws of the UN’s current human rights regime,” she said.

The NGOs expressed concern that the invitation process for governments needs to be reformed, given the decision to invite a number of governments that clearly do not meet the democratic criteria of the Community of Democracies.

Invitations were made by a Convening Group composed of Chile, Czech Republic, India, Mali, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the United States. They expressed particular concern over the decision to invite Russia and Venezuela as full participants. Both countries have experienced pronounced democratic backsliding and the erosion of political rights and civil liberties since the last COD meeting in 2002. In December, Freedom House downgraded Russia to “Not Free” in its annual global survey of freedom, “Freedom in the World,” due to the further concentration of political authority, harassment, and intimidation of the media, and other setbacks. Venezuela, which is “Partly Free” in the survey, has attacked non-governmental organizations engaged in democracy and human rights promotion for receiving funding from international sources.

“The COD is urged to uphold its own standards, which include not inviting countries where democracy is disrupted or severely degraded,” said Theodore Piccone, executive director of the Democracy Coalition Project. “In the case of Nepal, where the king has suspended the democratic process in the face of a Maoist insurgency, the COD did the right thing by revoking its invitation to the Santiago meeting,” he said. “It should have done the same with Russia and Venezuela given the steady deterioration of democracy we see there.”

Ouch. That’s probably just a matter of time anyhow. Read here what the Venezuelan delegation had to say. They weren’t pleased, but I suspect that if they stay on the course, they won’t be attending the next summit.

In any case, back to Condi, because she’s the real newsmaker. President Lagos of Chile and Secretary Rice had good words to exchange about one another.

Lagos, a Socialist and staunch opponent of Chile’s military dictatorship, is one of a number of left-of-center leaders in South America. Rice has said the political tendencies of governments around the hemisphere are of little importance to the United States so long as they respect democratic principles.

Lagos praised the éémodern, mature” U.S.-Chilean relationship and noted that two-way trade has grown sharply since a free trade agreement took effect.

During her travels, Rice repeatedly has been asked about the perceived erosion of democratic principles in Venezuela under the leadership of the country’s anti-American, pro-Cuban president, Hugo Chavez.

She has made a point of playing down U.S. concerns about Chavez, saying she wants to stress the administration’s éépositive agenda” for the hemisphere. Rice’s visit to Chile coincided with a visit by Chavez to Cuba.

At the start of her speech, Rice said all Community of Democracy members éédeclare our deep conviction that freedom is the universal longing of every soul, and democracy is the ideal path for every nation.”

Since the last high-level meeting of the group, in South Korea in 2002, Rice noted that free elections have been held in Afghanistan and Iraq and that éétremendous developments” have taken place in Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon.

Lagos’ Concertacion party, while indeed socialist, got him elected to office just about the same time I first left Chile in early 2000. When going back in 2003-2004, I noticed an incredible increase in the standard of living and infrastructure in Chile. Wages were up, trade was really up, and there was definitely no longer the electricity and water rationing we had to live through back then. He may bear the title of a “left-winger,” but his free trade economic policies and opposition to totalitarianism is something that the modern left can only hope to strive for.

I think that, overall, the summit is going to go very well. Rice had a stop in Brazil in which she urged them to also promote democracy as a regional and eventual world power. According to the article, Brazilian government officials have assured her that Brazil will work toward strengthening democracy in Venezuela without abridging its sovereignty. The most important part of this summit, however, is by far her clear and strong message “that tyranny is a crime of man, not a fact of nature. Our goal must always be the elimination of tyranny in our world.” I can think of no message more beautiful.