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Democratic Transition and Consolidation
Organizers: Fundacion para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Dialogo Exterior (FRIDE), Spain, and the Gorbachev Foundation of North America.
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Since the end of World War II, the most remarkable development in human affairs has been the spread of democracy throughout the world. The end of colonialism in the 1950s and 1960s, the end of authoritarian rule in industrially developed countries in the 1970s and 1980s, and the rapid move to democratization following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold war at the start of the 1990s, have all resulted in a significant increase in the number of countries that can be considered democracies of one kind or another.
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President Mikhail Gorbachev and Chairman George Matthews at the Conference on Democratic Transition and Consolidation
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On October 19 and 20th, more than 100 academic experts and people who have been active political players in democratic transition and consolidation will work to identify the factors that make these processes successful, and the factors that hinder their success. The proceedings of these deliberations will be summarized in short reports that will be made available to a meeting of approximately 25 Heads of State that will take place on October 26 and 27th. The conclusions reached by the heads of state and the experts will be made available at a press conference, with participants available to speak to the media.
The purpose of the meeting is to create a dialog between Heads of State, people with practical experience of transition and consolidation, and academic experts. The discussions will be guided by the findings of the working groups. Among the factors that will be considered are the role of constitutional law, the roles of the judiciary and legislature, anti-corruption measures, the roles of the military and security forces, the creation of civil society, and support mechanisms for the citizenry. In addition, attention will be focussed on the question of why consolidation may be difficult to achieve, and why democratic reversals may occur.
The conference has the support of His Majesty King Juan Carlos, and of Mikhail Gorbachev, both of whom will attend. It is very fitting that these figures will be involved, since each in his own way has made significant contributions to the building of a democratic world.
Spain has been chosen as the venue for the conference because of the nation's enormous success with its democratic program, an achievement that is recognized and admired internationally. The experience of SpainŐs transition will be an important part of the deliberations of the experts and politicians, together with the experience of other nations.
Head of State meeting at the Conference on Transition and Globalization
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