The International Association for Democracy (IAD) is a global organisation dedicated to promoting and defending democratic values worldwide. We advocate for the protection and expansion of democracy by raising awareness about the importance of democratic institutions, including representative government, free and fair elections, freedom of speech, equal protection under the law, and accountable leadership.
As democratic principles face increasing challenges, IAD fosters international solidarity among democratic nations and champions a collective defense of our shared values. Join us in our mission to strengthen democracy and safeguard fundamental freedoms across the globe.
IAD List of Principles
- Representative Government with Free and Fair Elections At IAD we believe in the right of the people to elect leaders of their choice to be the essence of Democracy. We stand for the right of the people to elect leaders of their choice under free and fair elections. We state no preference on the form of any democratic government (be they republics, constitutional monarchies or any other model) or the precise mechanisms of their electoral processes (whether they use proportional representation or first past the post, draw from a popular vote or an electoral college), but hold that these systems must be designed to allow the people to have final say in their governments.
- Universal Suffrage The aforementioned elections must be open to all adult citizens of a state, regardless of race, sex or belief. IAD does not take a position on the age at which suffrage is granted, only that it is extended to all citizens.
- Freedom of Speech For any society to operate democratically, everyone must be able to voice their opinions and ideas free from fear of state reprisal. This right applies not only to ideas approved by the state or society at large but also to the most controversial or offensive ideas. Freedom of speech is needed not only to protect popular opinions but also to protect the most unpopular of opinions from censorship and persecution.
- Equal protection under the law In a democratic society, the law must apply equally to all citizens, regardless of race, religion, creed or personal beliefs. All individuals have a right to be recognised as a person under the law, to trial by jury when accused of a crime, and to not be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. No one should be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
- Accountable leadership with clear limits on power For a society to be truly democratic, the state and those administering it must be kept under strict limits that ensure they cannot act outside of their legitimate areas of control or infringe on the rights of the people. Such leadership must be accountable to the people and to the law.
- Checks and balances Power should be properly distributed between branches of government in order to prevent unwanted and potentially dangerous concentrations of power.
- Solidarity between democratic states All nations have a right to freely determine their destinies through governments elected by their respective peoples. These nations have a duty to abide by international law, and a right to govern their own affairs in peace. At IAD, we implore all democratic states to stand together in solidarity when confronted with authoritarian states that seek to undermine the sovereignty of democratic nations.