Joe Biden to hold 'Summit for Democracy' with global leaders in December: White House

Six months after assuming presidential responsibilities, US President Joe Biden is set to convene an international summit to shore up faith in democracy. On Wednesday, the White House announced that the US President will host the conference with world leaders virtually on December 9 and December 10. In addendum to political heads, the conference is also set to witness participation from representatives of “civil society, philanthropy and private sector.”

"President Biden is pleased to announce that in December he will bring together leaders from a diverse group of the world’s democracies at a virtual Summit for Democracy, to be followed in roughly a year’s time by a second, in-person Summit. The virtual Summit, to take place on December 9 and 10, will galvanize commitments and initiatives across three principal themes: defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights."

In January this year, the country of over 300 million people faced a never-seen-before crisis after a mob, allegedly triggered by former President Donald Trump’s speech, attempted to overturn the highest seat of American democracy, its Parliament complex. With the Biden administration taking charge, people’s faith in the principle of democracy has been restored. However, a bigger challenge for Biden here would be to reinstate America’s relationship with other democratic states, which were blatantly snubbed by his predecessor.

Earlier this year, Biden had ascertained that neither he nor Europe’s leaders could take democracy for granted. While noting that democratic progress in Europe and the USA are “under assault”, the American President had said that historians are going to examine and write about this moment as an inflexion point. “I believe with every ounce of my being that democracy will and must prevail,” he had said. 

Challenges against democracy

The White House said that the conference aims to galvanise and discuss the challenges facing democracy so as to “collectively strengthen the foundation for democratic renewal.” Additionally, it also focuses on “defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights.” It is imperative to note that a record 155 million Americans cast their ballots in the November 2020 elections, which saw Biden emerging victorious with a lead of over seven million votes.  

Image: AP