Democratic Multilateral Alternatives

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Non-UN Multilateralism: Multilateral Organizations of Primarily Democratic States

List of Member States: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/26811.htm

Community of Democracy's Vision


""...Recognizing the universality of democratic values, Hereby agree to respect and uphold the following core democratic principles and practices: ...Our goal is to support adherence to common democratic values and standards, as outlined above...We will collaborate on democracy-related issues in existing international and regional institutions, forming coalitions and caucuses to support resolutions and other international activities aimed at the promotion of democratic governance..."

[From the Final Warsaw Declaration: Toward a Community of Democracies, Warsaw, Poland, June 27, 2000, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/26811.htm]

List of Member States: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Com/About_Coe/Member_states/default.asp


The Council of Europe was founded in 1949. It groups together 46 countries, including 21 countries from Central and Eastern Europe. It has one outstanding application from Bélarus. It has also granted observer status to the Holy See, the United States, Canada, Japan and Mexico. Although it is distinct from the 25-nation European Union, no country has ever joined the European Union without first belonging to the Council of Europe. It is headquartered in Strasbourg, France.

Aims
The Council was set up to:

• defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law,
• develop continent-wide agreements to standardise member countries' social and legal practices,
• promote awareness of a European identity based on shared values and cutting across different cultures.

Since 1989, its main job has become:

• acting as a political anchor and human rights watchdog for Europe's post-communist democracies,
• assisting the countries of central and eastern Europe in carrying out and consolidating political, legal and constitutional reform in parallel with economic reform,
• providing know-how in areas such as human rights, local democracy, education, culture and the environment.

Political aims
The Council of Europe's Vienna Summit in October 1993 set out new political aims. The Heads of State and Government cast the Council of Europe as the guardian of democratic security - founded on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Democratic security is an essential complement to military security, and is a pre-requisite for the continent's stability and peace.

During the Second Summit in Strasbourg in October 1997, the Heads of State and Government adopted an action plan to strengthen the Council of Europe's work in four areas: democracy and human rights, social cohesion, the security of citizens and democratic values and cultural diversity.

Today, the Organisation continues to grow while at the same time increasing its monitoring to ensure that all its members respect the obligations and commitments they entered into when they joined.

How it works
The main component parts of the Council of Europe are:

• the Committee of Ministers, composed of the 46 Foreign ministers or their Strasbourg-based deputies (ambassadors/permanent representatives), which is the Organisation's decision-making body.
• the Parliamentary Assembly, grouping 630 members (315 representatives and 315 substitutes) from the 46 national parliaments. The current President is René van der Linden (the Netherlands, EPP/CD).
• the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, composed of a Chamber of Local Authorities and a Chamber of Regions. Its current President is Giovanni Di Stasi (Italy, SOC)
• the 1800-strong secretariat headed since September 2004 by Secretary General Terry Davis (United Kingdom, SOC), former Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly and former President of the Socialist Group of the Assembly.

[Adapted from http://www.coe.int/T/e/Com/about_coe/]

List of Member States: http://www.g8.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1078995912414


"The G8 stands for the 'Group of Eight' nations. It began in 1975 when President Giscard d'Estaing of France invited the leaders of Japan, the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy to Rambouillet, near Paris, to discuss the economic problems of the day. The group expanded to include Canada in 1976 and Russia in 1998. Unlike many other international bodies, the G8 does not have a fixed structure or a permanent administration. It is up to the country that has the Presidency to set the agenda and organise the annual G8 Summit.

At the Summit, the leaders of the eight member countries discuss major issues of the day. They seek to reach informal agreements on measures that they can take individually, but in a cooperative manner, to achieve their goals more effectively. At each Summit, leaders agree upon certain initiatives; there are follow-up meetings throughout the year to make sure commitments are being honoured."

[From: http://www.g8.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1078995913300]

List of Member States: http://www.nato.int/structur/countries.htm


"The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is an alliance of 26 countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. In accordance with the Treaty, the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means. NATO is playing an increasingly important role in crisis management and peacekeeping."

"NATO has an open door policy with regard to enlargement. Any European country in a position to further the principles of the Washington Treaty and contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area can become a member of the Alliance at the invitation of the North Atlantic Council."

"Countries aspiring for NATO membership are also expected to meet certain political, economic and military goals in order to ensure that they will become contributors to Alliance security as well as beneficiaries of it."

"NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP) is designed to assist aspirant partner countries in their preparations by providing a framework which enables NATO to channel assistance and practical support to them on all aspects of NATO membership."

[From http://www.nato.int/issues/faq/index.html]

List of Member States: http://www.oas.org/main/main.asp?sLang=E&sLink=../../documents/eng/memberstates.asp


The Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the countries of the Western Hemisphere to strengthen cooperation and advance common interests. It is the region's premier forum for multilateral dialogue and concerted action.

At the core of the OAS mission is an unequivocal commitment to democracy, as expressed in the Inter-American Democratic Charter: "The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it." Building on this foundation, the OAS works to promote good governance, strengthen human rights, foster peace and security, expand trade, and address the complex problems caused by poverty, drugs and corruption. Through decisions made by its political bodies and programs carried out by its General Secretariat, the OAS promotes greater inter-American cooperation and understanding.

The OAS member states have intensified their cooperation since the end of the Cold War, taking on new and important challenges. In 1994 the region's 34 democratically elected presidents and prime ministers met in Miami for the First Summit of the Americas, where they established broad political, economic and social development goals. They have continued to meet periodically since then to examine common interests and priorities. Through the ongoing Summits of the Americas process, the region's leaders have entrusted the OAS with a growing number of responsibilities to help advance the countries' shared vision.

[From http://www.oas.org/documents/eng/oasinbrief.asp]

List of member states: http://www.osce.org/about/13131.html


"OSCE promotes democracy and assists the participating States in building democratic institutions."

[From http://www.osce.org/activities/13036.html]


"With 55 States drawn from Europe, Central Asia and America, the OSCE is the world's largest regional security organization, bringing comprehensive and co-operative security to a region that stretches from Vancouver to Vladivostok. It offers a forum for political negotiations and decision-making in the fields of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation, and puts the political will of the participating States into practice through its unique network of field missions."

[From http://www.osce.org/about/]

Documents: Charter of Paris for a New Europe, 1990, http://www.osce.org/documents/mcs/1990/11/4045_en.pdf

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