Days Until International Day of Democracy

About International Day of Democracy

The General Assembly established September 15 as an annual observance in 2007, encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy, following an earlier 1997 declaration on democracy adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The observance is used by the UN and affiliated organizations to review the state of democracy worldwide, including electoral integrity, civic participation, and freedom of expression.

Unlike some UN observances tied to a specific historical event, this date was chosen without reference to a single anniversary, instead marking an abstract commitment to democratic governance as a value.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union, whose 1997 declaration helped inspire the day, remains an international organization of national parliaments that continues to publish comparative data on global democratic participation.

The observance's official theme has in various years spotlighted youth political participation specifically, reflecting UN research suggesting younger voters are underrepresented in electoral turnout in many democracies.