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BDF convenes amid democratic backsliding
This year, the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) was held during a turbulent time for democracies globally, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling on countries to defend and invigorate democracy.
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Delegates enter the room ahead of the opening of the 15th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) at the Nusa Dua Convention Center in Bali, on Dec. 8. (Antara/Nyoman Hendra Wibowo)
T
he Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) convened its 15th iteration amidst a global decline in trust and democratic practice, set against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions and threats to civil rights.
Democracy faces challenges from outside but also from within, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi asserted in her opening speech in Nusa Dua on Thursday, even as participants gathered due to their belief in democracy.
“In the Asia-Pacific, the democratic space has narrowed. Political rights and civil liberties have been constrained by ethno-nationalism, political patronage and military intervention in politics,” Retno said, setting the scene for an otherwise tame annual forum for sharing best practices.
The minister cited several global surveys that sounded the alarm on democratic backsliding: International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2022 report observed that around half of the democracies in the world were in decline. The United States-based Freedom House think tank recorded 16 consecutive years of global democratic decline. Meanwhile, the V-Dem Institute has found that the average quality of democracy has dropped to the same level as around 30 years ago.
In a video message relayed to the forum, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a clarion call to BDF participants to buck the trend.
“People are hurting, democracy is backsliding and civic space is shrinking. We have a duty to act. We must defend and invigorate democracy,” Guterres said.
