Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Inclusive Approaches to Multilateral Democracy Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities for Canada

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Democracy and Foreign Policy in an Era of Uncertainty

Part of the book series: Canada and International Affairs ((CIAF))

  • 191 Accesses

Abstract

Debates about states’ inclusion and exclusion dominated media headlines around the 2021 Summit for Democracy and the 2022 Summit of the Americas. By limiting invitations to “democracies,” the United States aimed to “build a shared foundation for global democratic renewal,” yet its exclusive approach sparked criticism from democratic and non-democratic states alike. Considerably less academic and policy attention has been given to inclusive approaches to multilateral democracy cooperation. This chapter first discusses the significance and limitations of such approaches in the context of a changing international order. With examples from the United Nations system and other international organizations, it considers some prospects and ideas for Canada’s multilateral cooperation related to democratic governance, including expanding cross-regional platforms for exchanging practices and innovations, reframing, and connecting with other salient concepts and multilateral agendas to resonate in the challenging current normative environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    See, for example, Kevin Liptak, “Snubs from Key Leaders at Summit of the Americas reveal Biden’s Struggle to assert US leadership in its Neighborhood,” CNN, June 8, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/07/politics/summit-of-the-americas-joe-biden/index.html.

  2. 2.

    Video recordings of leaders’ speeches at the 2022 Summit of the Americas are available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKYt4ZTAIMs&list=PLttPZGCY6Nq87YgpPZzBwT9wrY8sa1_3O&index=10, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMfbbGZLkRs&list=PLttPZGCY6Nq87YgpPZzBwT9wrY8sa1_3O&index=20

  3. 3.

    Maxwell Cameron, The Americas after American Hegemony, Open Canada Podcast #11 with Ben Rowswell, August 9, 2022. https://opencanada.libsyn.com/11-the-americas-after-american-hegemony-with-maxwell-cameron

  4. 4.

    Citations were transcribed from the recorded speeches available at the links provided in Footnote 2.

  5. 5.

    Matt Spetalnick and Dave Graham. June 7, 2022 “U.S. bars Cuba, Venezuela from Americas summit; Mexican leader sits out.” https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-excludes-cuba-venezuela-nicaragua-americas-summit-sources-2022-06-06/ (last accessed 2/2023).

  6. 6.

    Citations were transcribed from the recorded speeches, see Footnote 2.

  7. 7.

    Inclusiveness refers here to transcending a particular basis of social stratification in a given multilateral venue, in this case across states with democratic and authoritarian regimes.

  8. 8.

    Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 1993, Part 1, ¶8.

  9. 9.

    https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2022/03/31/Joint_Statement_of_the_Russian_Federation_and_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China_on_the_International_Relations_Entering_a_New_Era_and_the_Global_Sustainable_Development__President_of_Russia.pdf

  10. 10.

    https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/speeches/2021/12/09/prime-ministers-remarks-summit-democracy. December 9, 2021. Prime Minister's Remarks at the Summit for Democracy.

  11. 11.

    Author’s interview with Senior IO representative, 10 November 2022, via Zoom.

  12. 12.

    Speeches available at the link at Footnote 2.

  13. 13.

    Kofi Annan (Dec. 6, 2016): Democracy Under Pressure, New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/opinion/democracy-under-pressure.html (last accessed 3/2023).

  14. 14.

    https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issue_developmentenjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/policy-politique.aspx?lang=eng.

  15. 15.

    See the UN’s home page and statement: “Peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet,” https://www.un.org/en/about-us.

  16. 16.

    https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/FAAE/Reports/RP10580262/faaerp28/faaerp28-e.pdf. 

  17. 17.

    https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/ODA-2021-summary.pdf. OECD, 2022. ODA Levels in 2021 - Preliminary Data, p. 3.

  18. 18.

    p. 31. See Footnote 15.

  19. 19.

    Author’s interview with Senior IO representative, 10 November 2022, via Zoom.

  20. 20.

    Voting record search, UNBISnet.org.

  21. 21.

    A recorded vote was requested by the Russian Federation in 2015 and 2017. In 2015, it was adopted by 155 votes to 0, with 15 abstentions (A/C.3/70/SR.48, pgs. 7–8). In 2017, it was adopted by 148 votes to 0 with 14 abstentions (A/C.3/72/SR.44, p. 13).

  22. 22.

    See https://www.un.org/democracyfund/about-undef.

  23. 23.

    https://www.un.org/democracyfund/sites/www.un.org.democracyfund/files/contributions_undef_2005-20221104.pdf (last accessed 3/2023).

  24. 24.

    Author’s interview with Senior IO representative, 10 November 2022, via Zoom.

  25. 25.

    See, for example, International IDEA's work on monitoring the Summit for Democracy commitments: https://summitfordemocracyresources.eu/commitment-dashboard/ (last accessed 3/2023).

  26. 26.

    Canada’s first VNR in 2018 is available here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/20312Canada_ENGLISH_18122_Canadas_Voluntary_National_ReviewENv7.pdf VNRs of all countries can be accessed at: https://hlpf.un.org/countries (last accessed 3/2023).

  27. 27.

    https://annualreport.undp.org/2020/assets/UNDP-Annual-Report-2020-en.pdf pg. 25.

  28. 28.

    https://www.oecd.org/gov/sustainable-development-goals-and-public-governance.htm.

    https://publicadministration.un.org/en/Intergovernmental-Support/Committee-of-Experts-on-Public-Administration/Governance-principles.

  29. 29.

    https://friendsofgovernance.org/.

References

  • Bardall, Gabrielle. 2023. Feminism and International Democracy Assistance (this volume). In Canada Among Nations, ed. Maxwell Cameron, David Carment, and David Gillies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bridoux, Jeff, Christopher Hobson, and Milja Kurki. 2012. Rethinking Democracy Support. United Nations University Press. http://hdl.handle.net/2160/7877.

  • Bukovansky, Mlada. 2007. Liberal States, International Order, and Legitimacy: An Appeal for Persuasion Over Prescription. International Politics 44: 175–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carment, David, and Yiagadeesen Samy. 2016. Canada’s Fragile States Policy: What Have We Accomplished and Where Do We Go from Here? In Rethinking Canadian Aid, Second Edition, ed. Stephen Brown, Molly den Heyer, and David R. Black. Chapter XIII. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carothers, Thomas. 2016a. Closing Space for International Democracy and Human Rights Support. Journal of Human Rights Practice 8: 358–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carothers, Thomas. 2016b. Look Homeward, Democracy Promoter. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/?fa=62604

  • Chesterman, Simon. 2004. Building Democracy Through Benevolent Autocracy: Consultation and Accountability in UN Transitional Administrations. Chapter 4 in The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, ed. Edward Newman and Roland Rich. Tokyo: United Nations University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, Ian. 2005. Legitimacy in International Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Claude, Inis L., Jr. 1966. Collective Legitimization as a Political Function of the United Nations. International Organization 20 (3): 367–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, Andrew F., and Thomas Legler. 2006. Intervention Without Intervening? The OAS Defense and Promotion of Democracy in the Americas. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, Yong. 2008. China’s Struggle for Status: The Realignment of International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dumitriu, Petru. 2003. The History and Evolution of the New or Restored Democracies Movement. Paper commissioned for the fifth international conference on new or restored democracies, Mongolia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko, and Thea Smaavik Hegstad. 2019. “Leaving No One Behind” as a Site of Contestation and Reinterpretation. Journal of Globalization and Development 0037: 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geis, Anna. 2013. The ‘Concert of Democracies’: Why Some States Are More Equal Than Others. International Politics 50 (2): 257–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillies, David. 2023. Policy and Practice in Canada’s International Democracy Support (this volume). In Canada Among Nations, ed. Maxwell Cameron, David Carment, and David Gillies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hecht, Catherine. 2016. Success After Stalemate? Persistence, Reiteration, and Windows of Opportunity in Multilateral Negotiations. Journal of International Organizations Studies 7 (2): 23–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hecht, Catherine. 2017. Advantages and Disadvantages of Inclusive Multilateral Venues: The Rise and Fall of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on New or Restored Democracies. International Politics 54 (6): 714–728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hecht, Catherine. 2021. When Democratic Governance Unites and Divides: Social Status and Contestation in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Cooperation and Conflict 56 (1): 44–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holthaus, Leonie, and Michael Christensen. 2022. The Production of North American and German Democracy Promotion Expertise: A Practice Theoretical Analysis. International Studies Perspectives 23: 271–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell, Andrew. 2007. On Global Order: Power, Values, and the Constitution of International Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Keck, Margaret E., and Kathryn Sikkink. 1998. Activists Beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koelble, Thomas A., and Edward Lipuma. 2008. Democratizing Democracy: A Postcolonial Critique of Conventional Approaches to the ‘Measurement of Democracy.’ Democratization 15 (1): 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, Deborah Welch. 2020. Can China Change the International System? The Role of Moral Leadership. The Chinese Journal of International Politics 13 (2): 163–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, Deborah Welch, and Alexei Shevchenko. 2014. Russia Says No: Power, Status and Emotions in Foreign Policy. Communist and Post-Communist Studies 47 (3–4): 269–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, Deborah Welch, and Alexei Shevchenko. 2010. ‘Status Seekers:’ Chinese and Russian Responses to U.S. Primacy. International Security 34 (4): 63–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, Edward, and Roland Rich. 2004. The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality: Tokyo: United Nations University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell, Guillermo. 1993. On the State, Democratization and some Conceptual Problems: A Latin American View with Glances at some Postcommunist Countries. World Development 21 (8): 1355–1369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rich, Roland. 2017. Democracy in Crisis: Why, Where, How to Respond. Boulder: Lynne Reinner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steffek, Jens. 2018. Deliberation and Global Governance. In The Oxford Handbook of International Political Theory, ed. Chris Brown and Robyn Eckersley. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, Daniel C. 2001. The Helsinki Effect: International Norms, Human Rights and the Demise of Communism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tsygankov, Andrei P. 2012. Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin: Honor in International Relations. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Viola, Lora Anne. 2020. The Closure of the International System: How International Institutions Create Political Equalities and Hierarchies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, Mark E. 2017. A Problem-Based Approach to Democratic Theory. American Political Science Review 111 (1): 39–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, Iris Marion. 2000. Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Youngs, Richard. 2016. European Liberal Power as a Two-Way Street. Carnegie Europe, May 6. http://carnegieeurope.eu/2016/05/17/european-liberal-power-as-two-way-street/iyco.

Download references

Acknowledgements

For their helpful comments and critiques on an earlier version, I would like to thank the editors of this volume, Max Cameron, David Carment, and David Gillies, as well as Leonie Holthaus, Miranda Loli, David Moscrop, Jens Steffek, and Victoria Trifonchovska. Special thanks to Massimo Tommasoli for helpful discussions on the topic in 2019. Responsibility for content and any error rests solely with the author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Catherine Hecht

Authors
  1. Catherine Hecht
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine Hecht .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Maxwell A. Cameron

  2. Ottawa, ON, Canada

    David Gillies

  3. Norman Paterson School, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    David Carment

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hecht, C. (2023). Inclusive Approaches to Multilateral Democracy Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities for Canada. In: A. Cameron, M., Gillies, D., Carment, D. (eds) Democracy and Foreign Policy in an Era of Uncertainty. Canada and International Affairs. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35490-8_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation