Who participates in the design and functioning of international cooperation mechanisms is fundamental to gaining trust of global citizens and therefore to their success. As the expression goes, if you’re not at the table then you’re on the menu. Key trends in this area include:
- The demand for direct public voice in governance is increasing. Historically diplomacy has happened behind closed doors with little accountability. Now, there is pressing need for inclusive participation in international democracy discussions for legitimacy of policy decisions.
- Globalisation has diminished power of individual governments over decisions that shape their residents’ futures, due to the interconnected nature of critical decisions at international level. As such, the current model of international cooperation is outdated and must be democratised, including being more transparent on its goals. This would in turn help to build trust in national institutions.
- A ‘big tent’ approach to cooperation on democracy could enable long-term engagement, without preventing a ‘coalition of the willing’ from leading international cooperation efforts. There is a lack of clarity within the current international system on what is meant by supporting democratic principles – the UN espouses this1 , however, many of its member countries are not democracies. The democratic spectrum is broad; the diversity within it can be recognised, whilst focusing on embracing the commonalities of shared democratic governance values. An alliance of democracies would need to be transparent about its goals and who it would support on the scale of democracy, for example whether those that require convincing of democracy’s benefits should be supported within this model.
Multistakeholder approach and direct voice
Identifying champions beyond government (especially as they can lose office), for example within civil society and the private sector, is important for advocating democratic principles. Executive branches need to become comfortable with the messy tension of having citizens engaged in the work of governance. Notably, civil society is not the same as citizens – it does not represent everyone in a society, therefore additional methods should be sought, such as citizen assemblies, which engage broader groups and individuals from communities. While universal inclusion on international cooperation is impractical, structured follow-ups and engagement mechanisms, including strengthening existing convenings, can ensure broad representation.
Youth inclusion
Youth are either not interested in or actively excluded from formal political discussions and decision making, yet they want to engage. Young people are increasingly mobilising for change, as seen in Kenya’s 2024 protests against tax policies 2. Digital platforms such as X and TikTok have proven to be powerful tools for mobilisation. Political party affiliation among young people is declining, signalling a shift in how political engagement takes place. Channels must be created which motivate young people to actively participate in politics. Suggestions for addressing youth exclusion include increasing funding for youth organisations and leveraging digital campaigns and other relevant mechanisms to drive youth engagement in governance.
Women in politics
Although women’s political participation has increased globally, women are still grossly underrepresented. Men continue to outnumber women in executive and legislative positions by a ratio of three to one3 . Women’s representation in parliaments has risen to 27%, but the number of women leading ministries has decreased4 . In addition, violence against women in politics, especially online, is devastatingly high5 . As a transnational issue, an international cooperation response is required, for example forming a global cyber security alliance to help women feel safer to enter politics.
Political elites continue to protect their positions, making it difficult for young people, women, and other marginalised groups to access political spaces. The financial barriers to election participation remain a significant obstacle. Moreover, it is not enough for women to be at the table, but they must be imbued with appropriate powers, for example overseeing well-regarded political and diplomatic portfolios. Any international democracy cooperation models must be democratic themselves to have legitimacy, meaning youth and women’s participation must be baked in.
Global South leadership and ownership
This meeting purposefully convened in Kenya, recognising that the architects of international structures to date have largely been from the West, whilst the Global South must be at the heart of future plans. Notably, these countries have not spearheaded international democracy efforts to date, with the exception of Indonesia’s BDF in the Asia-Pacific region. This is a model, but additional platforms are needed.
There is some debate about the extent to which citizens in the Global South view democracy as an inherently Western concept. Some see the West as trying to export a certain form of democratic governance to the Global South. Others feel that there is strong support for democracy principles in the Global South, but governments are not necessarily delivering what communities want. The perceived underperformance of democracy has contributed to scepticism about its viability. Media narratives questioning the applicability of Western democratic models in non-Western contexts have gained traction. This is why it is more important than ever that Global South
Footnotes
- https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/democracy ↩︎
- https://www.theyouthcafe.com/tools-and-publications/kenya-youth-quake-an-examination-of-thenbspgeneration-z-led-protests-in-kenya ↩︎
- https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2025/03/political-leadership-roles-in-2025-men-continue-to-dominate ↩︎
- https://www.ipu.org/resources/publications/reports/2025-03/women-in-parliament-1995-2025 ↩︎
- https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/facts-and-figures/facts-and-figures-ending-violence-against-women; https://idrc-crdi.ca/en/what-we-do/projects-we-support/project/supporting-safer-internet-global-survey-gender-based ↩︎