World democracies are gathering but it is unclear who is sitting on the fence and who is fully engaged in ensuring a sustained global democracy agenda. The risk, therefore, exists for the summit to become a photo op. This article is published by Democracy Digest. Here is an excerpt:

US President Joe Biden made it an early theme of his term in office, that democracy is under attack. “We’re at an inflection point,” he told an audience in Germany in February. “We must demonstrate that democracy can still deliver for our people in this changed world. That, in my view, is our galvanizing mission,” notes CNN’s Nic Robertson.

But how to deliver on that mission is something that has yet to be mastered, he adds. Biden promised a “summit of democracies” “early” in his presidency, it is due to take place next month, although details are sketchy.

The forthcoming summit cannot be merely symbolic or aspirational, argue Freedom House president Michael J. Abramowitz and David J. Kramer, a former assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. It should not serve merely as a photo op for leaders, nor should it be a forum for empty speeches. The world desperately needs bold, tangible action from the community of democratic nations.

Read the full article here.