The Community of Democracies is an inter-governmental coalition of states, meaning that governments make up the key organizational structure and coordinate the Community’s work. In order to oversee this task, twenty-seven committed states formed the Community’s Governing Council. As the core group of the Community of Democracies, the Governing Council is responsible for the activities undertaken on behalf of the coalition. This group also decides which countries participate in the Ministerial Conferences.
The Governing Council reflects the Community’s vision of a global coalition for democracy in its quarterly meetings. Because the member states have different stories of democratic development, each country serving on the Council brings a unique experience with democracy by representing different regions, cultures, and priorities. This diversity enables a process of mutual learning and understanding, which makes the Community of Democracies unique. The Council’s members include the following states:
The Presidency of the Community, which rotates between the member states of the Council, leads the Governing Council. This role passes from continent to continent every two years. The post has been held twice by Asian countries, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia; twice by European countries, Portugal and Lithuania; once by an American country, Chile; and once by an African country, Mali. Currently, a second American country, El Salvador, is holding the role of Presidency.
During its term, the Presidency oversees all activities and initiatives of the Community and sets a “theme” to guide the Community’s priorities and work. The current Presidency of the Community, El Salvador, has declared the theme of its term as “Democracy and Development”, emphasizing the inseparable correlation between democratic governance and fair economic development.
An Executive Committee assists the Presidency with its work. Functioning as an advisory board, it supports the Presidency and makes recommendations regarding the activities of the Community. Members of the Executive Committee include the current Presidency, the former and following Presidencies, as well as Poland, the United States and Sweden.
Click here to explore this group's site> https://www.community-democracies.org/The-Community-of-Democracies/Working-Bodies/Governmental-Bodies
