Celebrating the International Day of Democracy: A global call to
support democratic value
Every year on 15 September, we come together to mark the International
Day of Democracy [https://www.un.org/en/observances/democracy-day]; a
moment to reflect on the state of democracy across nations, as well as
recommit to its principles. Established by the United Nations
[https://www.un.org/en/] in 2007, this international day serves as a
reminder that democracy is more than a political system and focuses on
providing peace, development, and human rights. Democracy empowers
citizens to shape their societies by enabling participation,
transparency, and accountability.

In a time where democratic institutions face increasing pressure, it
is of great importance to safeguard democratic values. The
International Day of Democracy encourages governments, civil society,
and individuals to engage in dialogue with each other, as well as
promote civil education and strengthen democratic resilience across
nations. On this day, we take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate
the progress which has been made but also confront challenges and
renew our efforts toward establishing inclusive and participatory
governance.

One powerful tool that helps enable democracy is open data. By making
government data freely accessible, open data initiatives create
transparency, enable informed decision-making, and empower citizens to
hold institutions accountable. Many of these datasets, covering topics
from environmental
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?query=environment&locale=en&page=1]
statistics to public health
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?query=public+health&locale=en&page=1]
metrics, are available on the European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?locale=en], helping bridge the
gap between governments and the people that they serve and turning
democratic ideals into everyday practices.

As we celebrate the International Day of Democracy, it is essential to
recognise that democracy does not only thrive through elections and
institutions, but also through openness and active engagement by
citizens. By embracing transparency and participation, we can work on
building stronger, more resilient democracies for the future.

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Publication Date/Time
2025-09-15T08:00:00+00:00
Strengthening democracy through transparency, participation, and open
data