Background

The aspirations of all peoples for a democratic and equitable international order based on the principles of justice and international law are set forth in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In the resolution establishing the mandate of the Independent Expert (Res. 18/6), the Human Rights Council affirmed that “everyone is entitled to a democratic and equitable international order”, which “fosters the full realization of all human rights for all”, and the “principle that the will of the people, as expressed through periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of government authority”.

The Human Rights Council listed a number of requirements for the realisation of a democratic and equitable international order, including:

• The right of all peoples to self-determination and sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources.
• The rights of all peoples to peace, international solidarity and development.
• The right to equitable participation of all, without any discrimination, in domestic and global decision-making.
• Transparent, democratic, just and accountable international institutions.
• International cooperation to ensure the right of all peoples to a healthy environment; assist national efforts to adapt to climate change, particularly in developing countries; and fulfil international agreements in the field of mitigation.
• The shared responsibility of the nations of the world for managing worldwide economic and social development, as well as threats to international peace and security.

The Human Rights Council established the mandate of the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order in 2011 (Res. 18/6), for an initial period of three years. Since then, the mandate has been extended four times, on 25 September 2014 (Res. 27/9), on 28 September 2017 (Res. 36/4) on 6 October 2020 (Res. 45/4) and on 12 October 2023 (Res. 54/4) for three years each time.

Questions

1. What are current obstacles to the promotion and protection of a democratic and equitable international order at the local, national, regional and international levels.
2. What are examples of good practice in the promotion and protection of a democratic and equitable international order at the local, national, regional and international levels, including in integrating a gender perspective and realizing people-centred sustainable development that leaves no one behind.
3. What are opportunities for the Independent Expert over the next years to effectively promote progress in the adoption of measures to promote and protect a democratic and equitable international order at the local, national, regional and international levels.
4. What are the main issues should the Independent Expert focus on during the next six years of his mandate for the effective realization of his mandate?

How inputs will be used

Submissions may be posted on the mandate’s website. Should you wish to maintain confidentiality of your submission, kindly clearly indicate it at the moment of submission.