International Day of Democracy is celebrated annually on 15 September. It was established on 8 November 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly, with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy and consolidate democracy.
It encourages all Member Parliaments to mark the day with events and celebrations. Since its first observation in 2008, hundreds of parliamentary events have been held worldwide. It has included photo competitions, workshops for children, live televised debates, radio phone-ins and meetings with civil society organisations. International Day of Democracy is a UN observance day, but, however, not a public holiday.
The theme for 2020 is “Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World”. It is also coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the day is also an opportunity to highlight values of freedom and respect human rights as essential elements of democracy.
Posters, flyers, are placed in public places, and places where people can learn more about how democracy works and is liked with factors, such as freedom of expression and tolerant culture. Organisations, such as the Inter-Parliament Union (IPU) organise activities such as public opinion surveys about democracy and political tolerance.
International Day of Democracy has other names in distinct languages:
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