2022 Resilient Democracies Statement

Elmau, 27 June 2022

We, the Leaders of Germany, Argentina, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Senegal, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the European Union, affirm our commitment to strengthening the resilience of our democracies and to working towards equitable, inclusive and sustainable solutions to global challenges, including climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, and reaffirm our commitment to the rules-based international order.

Taking note of the 2021 Carbis Bay Open Societies Statement, and in recognition of the dramatic changes in the geopolitical situation since then and the significant threats to democratic systems around the world, we remain steadfast in our commitment to defending peace, human rights, the rule of law, human security and gender equality, as recognised by international law, including the United Nations Charter, and call on our international partners to join us in these efforts. We acknowledge the importance of national laws and regulations that are in place in each country to advance the principles and values of democracy. We hail all courageous defenders of democratic systems that stand against oppression and violence and will step up international cooperation to improve the resilience of democratic societies globally. We commit to engage with partners internationally for peace and prosperity, and will work for progress towards an equitable world, because we are stronger together.

Global Responsibility: Democracies as Reliable Partners

As democracies, we seek to promote a rules-based international order, respect other states' territorial integrity and sovereignty, respect and defend the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, support the peaceful resolution of conflicts and oppose the threat or use of force of any kind that is not in compliance with international law, protect human rights, strengthen multilateral institutions to address global challenges, and develop and use technologies in accordance with democratic principles for the benefit of humanity. In sharing these values, we are stronger together and commit to:

• Supporting democracy worldwide and free and fair elections, including through electoral assistance;
• In the spirit of partnership fighting climate change, preventing environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity, mobilising climate finance and supporting a just, equitable and socially inclusive transformation agenda, ensuring an orderly fair and equitable energy transition, taking into account energy security, national development priorities, viable and affordable technologies, and cooperating closely in the run-up to the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27);
• Improving food security to prevent famine and striving for energy security by ensuring resilient energy supply chains, noting in this context the UN Global Crisis Response Group initiative;
• Pursuing concerted efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, improve vaccine distribution and production, as well as our global health architecture for future health crises, with the World Health Organization (WHO) in a central role;
• Fighting corruption, illicit financial flows, organised crime, cybercrimes and other illicit activities, including through enhanced beneficial ownership transparency;
• Advocating free, fair, non-discriminatory, rules-based and sustainable trade, alleviating global inequalities, raising standards of living, maintaining open and resilient economies and strengthening the multilateral trading system, including by reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO);
• Supporting efforts to push for sustainable solutions to mounting global sovereign debt, in particular within the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for debtors in need, while continuing to explore further solutions for vulnerable countries, including Middle Income Countries;
• Fighting global inequalities and exclusions deepened during the pandemic, pursuing inclusive policies to secure recovery, as well as intensifying our efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, including by promoting equal partnerships through the G20 Compact with Africa, taking note also of G7 efforts for infrastructure investment.

Information Environment: 
Democracies Defending Open and Pluralistic Debate

Democracies enable open public debate, independent and pluralistic media and the free flow of information on- and offline, fostering legitimacy, transparency, responsibility and accountability for citizens and elected representatives alike. We are prepared to defend these principles and are resolved to:

• Protecting the freedom of expression and opinion on- and offline and ensuring a free and independent media landscape through our work with relevant international initiatives;
• Ensuring an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure internet;
• Increasing the cyber resilience of digital infrastructure, including by improving and sharing awareness of cyber threats and expanding cyber response cooperation;
• Countering hybrid threats, in particular information manipulation and interference, including disinformation;
• Cooperating to counter information manipulation, promote accurate information, and advocate for our shared democratic values worldwide;
• Promoting affordable access to diverse sources of reliable and trustworthy information and data, on- and offline, including through a multi-stakeholder approach, and by strengthening digital skills and digital literacy;
• Enhancing transparency about the actions of online platforms to combat violent, extremist and inciting content online in line with the Christchurch Call to Action.

Civil Society: Democracies Protecting and Fostering Open and Pluralistic Civic Spaces

Democracies lay and protect the foundations for free and vibrant civic spaces, enabling and encouraging civic engagement and political participation, which in turn stimulate meaningful legitimacy, creativity, innovation and social accountability and responsibility. We commit to:

• Guarding the freedom, independence and diversity of civil society actors, speaking out against threats to civic space, and respecting freedom of association and peaceful assembly;
• Building resilience against malign foreign interference and acts of transnational repression that seek to undermine trust in government, society and media, reduce civic space and silence critical voices;
• Advancing programmes for the protection of human rights defenders and all those exposing corruption;
• Promoting academic freedom and strengthening the role of scientific evidence and research in democratic debate;
• Protecting civic space, upholding transparent, accountable, inclusive and participatory governance, including by advancing women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in civic and political life.

Inclusion and Equality:
Democracies Promoting Equal Representation

Democracies promote solidarity and non-discriminatory, diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive environments, enabling fair representation and political participation. We commit to:

• Protecting freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief and promoting inter-faith dialogue;
• Promoting social cohesion, solidarity and the inclusion of all members of society, on- and offline, while denouncing all forms of discrimination and violence;
• Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, including through supporting girls’ access to education and by implementing gender mainstreaming across all our policies;
• Ensuring full, equal and meaningful participation and representation of all those people in vulnerable situations.

We welcome the efforts and initiatives by the German G7 Presidency and partners to further strengthen the resilience of democracies in the spirit of this statement.