Secretary Antony J. Blinken Summit for Democracy Closing Remarks

REMARKS
ANTONY J. BLINKEN, FOREIGN SECRETARY
WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
WASHINGTON, DC

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you everyone. Good evening. It is now my honor to actually close the Summit, and I would like to start by thanking everyone – all the heads of state and representatives from more than a hundred countries, the leaders of sub-national governments, civil society and private sector partners – for thanking us join, for participation in the second Summit for Democracy.

And I was really pleased when I walked in to see Senator Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, walk out. Other members of Congress who attended, we are grateful for their participation.

And a special thank you to our Summit Co-Hosts – Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Zambia and our next Summit Host, the Republic of Korea. I would particularly like to thank Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Yongmin Park for joining us today from Seoul and for the partnership as the United States prepares to pass the baton of the Summit to Korea.

In his first year in office, President Biden created the Summit for Democracy because he recognized that democracy is our single most powerful tool to unleash human potential and make a difference for our people. We know that democracies are more inclusive, just, peaceful and prosperous; are better placed to address the issues that matter most in the lives and livelihoods of their people, whether it is protecting public health, promoting children’s education or expanding economic opportunity.

And we know that the quest for a stronger, freer, more democratic future is shared by people and governments from countries big and small, north and south, developed and developing countries.

As President Biden said, democracy does not happen by accident. It requires constant effort, constant nurturing by each new generation – and by each of us. And indeed, we are at a tipping point when it comes to the future of democracy, where a crucial question of this time is whether we are prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure that democracies continue to deliver for their citizens and continue to thrive.

In this campaign year, this group has answered this question with a resounding yes. Since the last Democracy Summit, we have made – and we are fulfilling – over 700 commitments that help us defend and strengthen democratic values ​​and institutions.

These commitments include new anti-corruption laws and initiatives – such as Ecuador’s new National Anti-Corruption Strategy, the Dominican Republic’s Forfeiture Without Conviction and Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

Steps to support a free and independent press – including contributions from France, Slovakia, New Zealand and the United States to initiatives to help independent news outlets become more financially stable and sustainable and to protect journalists, and the scrapping of laws, as in Zambia this could be used to silence government critics.

Governments have taken steps to strengthen democratic institutions, including judicial reform in Albania and Angola; Promote inclusive representation in government, particularly of women, members of the LGBTQI+ community and other historically marginalized groups.

And many have taken action to protect civil and human rights. The Democratic Republic of the Congo passed landmark legislation recognizing indigenous peoples’ land and cultural rights. Taiwan lifted barriers to prevent the recognition of transnational same-sex marriages. Nepal passed laws punishing perpetrators of acid attacks and rape, to name a few.

These national commitments are significant. You make a real difference in the lives of millions of people around the world. And as we conclude this second Summit for Democracy and prepare for upcoming Summits, we will continue to help each other sustain, adapt and build on our collective efforts.

Because President Biden, like me, believes deeply that protecting our democracies is a collective effort that depends on our governments and the cooperation of our people. Because all people, all nations, all sectors have a contribution to make. And certainly none of us has the monopoly on ideas, let alone good ideas.

And that is precisely why we have sought to bring together such a diverse group of Summit participants to drive progress on shared priorities – from encouraging young people’s political engagement to supporting an independent press to ensuring free and fair elections – and , as we discussed today, shaping standards around the Internet and new technologies. And that is why a major focus of our work leading up to this Summit and in the months that follow is multilateral efforts – including Democracy Cohorts: innovative platforms that bring governments together with civil society leaders and the private sector.

This joint fight against corruption is just one impressive example of why we need to work together across borders and with partners in our societies. And there was – and I’m glad we did – a real focus on fighting corruption through our Democracy Summit process.

We know that corruption is a cross-border scourge. It discourages investment. It stifles competition. It deepens injustices. And perhaps worst of all, it undermines public trust in government and institutions.

Unfortunately, every country has experience in fighting corruption – experiences that we must share. Over the past 15 months, the United States, along with the Brookings Institution and the Open Government Partnership — which includes 76 countries, 106 local governments representing more than 2 billion people, and thousands of civil society organizations — have taken a leadership role in new financial transparency and Integrity Democracy Cohort to do just that, to come together to bring together our experiences, knowledge and efforts in fighting corruption.

By bringing these different perspectives together, the cohort worked to examine the issue across all regions. And it develops actual solutions based on lessons learned, based on best practices from member countries. Policies compiled by the cohort will help prevent bad actors from shielding illicit activities behind shell companies, prevent corrupt government officials and their cronies from enriching themselves, and ensure that gatekeepers of the financial system – lawyers, accountants, investment managers – do so not allow money laundering.

This work – this summit – is about looking inward at our democracies: recognizing our challenges and striving to be better by our citizens.

And I think that’s what deeply characterizes democracies: our willingness to face these challenges – openly and transparently; acknowledging our shortcomings—not sweeping them under the rug, not pretending they don’t exist. This is one of our greatest strengths. This is what we mean in the United States when we commit to the enduring task of building a more perfect union.

We don’t think we have all the solutions – far from it. But we know that we are making each other stronger, more resilient, more responsive to our citizens and better able to do what we are here to do, which is work for them – and, I hope, for the world.

So to each of you who’s still there at the end of the day, thank you. Thank you for your participation. Thank you for your commitment – but not only today, every day – to this work. It is important. It makes a difference and I can’t think of a more recent time in history where it was more important. So thanks everyone. Have a nice evening. (applause) Thank you.