In December, civil society organizations, private sector entities, and government representatives will gather to discuss the state of corruption around the world at the International Anti-Corruption Conference hosted in Washington, DC. Participants will have the opportunity to share lessons learned from the past year and help hold governments accountable to their Summit for Democracy commitments.
Last December, more than 100 jurisdictions were represented at and participated in the first Summit for Democracy. At the event, jurisdictions, including the host—the United States government—submitted formal commitments. Commitments focused on countering authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting human rights. And while these commitments represented important first steps, few countries have publicly reported any evidence of implementation.
Shortly following the first summit, the Biden administration announced a second Summit for Democracy to “take stock of the progress made.” The second Summit for Democracy can serve as a launchpad for broader, more sustainable, and better coordinated efforts. However, to maximize the impact of the second summit, we must examine what countries promised at the first and how—or if—they’ve followed through with those commitments. Otherwise, we risk losing another “year of action.”.
Inflection point: making the Summit for Democracy matter at the IACC (brookings.edu)
