In 2019, in his report on the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO, Gerald E. Connolly (United States), then General Rapporteur of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA)’s Political Committee, proposed the creation of a Centre within NATO to coordinate Allied efforts to strengthen democratic resilience. This recommendation was endorsed by the full Assembly in resolution 457.
In April 2021, the Assembly established a Working Group to refine the proposed concept for the Centre. The current proposal for the Centre suggests establishing a small unit within NATO Headquarters, which can reach into a broad network of governmental and non-governmental experts and could be augmented in case of need. It could be tasked with monitoring and identifying challenges to democracy, human rights and the rule of law among member states as well as with facilitating democracy and governance assistance to member states when requested.
The proposal is a response to the growing threat to democracies both from within and from without. As stated in its founding treaty, NATO is an alliance of democracies, committed to safeguarding “the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law”. Yet, no dedicated structure currently exists within NATO which is fully dedicated to democratic resilience.
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Joe BRINKER is the Democratic Resilience Policy Fellow at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Secretariat.
Congressman Michael Turner, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly
Published on NATO Review
Kristine Berzina, Managing Director, GMF, interviews Congressman Gerald E. Connolly at the NATO Public Forum in Washington D.C. , 12/07/24
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