BACKGROUNDER   Community of Democracies Conference: "The Role of Regional and Multilateral Organizations in the Defense and Promotion of Democracy" February 20-21, 2001    What is the Community of Democracies? In June 2000, representatives of more than 100 governments gathered in Warsaw, Poland, to express their commitment to the democratic path. This coalition – known as the Community of Democracies – included nations from every part of the globe, representing a diverse mix of history, culture, religion and economic development. The first ministerial meeting in Warsaw was convened by seven countries: Poland, the United States, Chile, the Czech Republic, India, Mali and the Republic of Korea. It brought together foreign ministers and other government officials from 106 countries; subsequently four countries have joined (Guyana, Honduras, Suriname and Yugoslavia), bringing the total to 110.   What was the outcome of the Warsaw meeting? Participants endorsed the Warsaw Declaration, which affirms each government’s commitment to strengthen and promote democratic values and practices. It spells out a series of core democratic rights, among others the right to free and fair elections, equal protection under the law, freedom of expression, equal access to education, and freedom of peaceful assembly. It also articulates basic duties of government, such as that elected leaders uphold the law and that citizens’ rigthts be enforced by a competent, independent and impartial judiciary. Participants also commited to support one another in meeting these objectives.   How is the Community of Democracies organized and how often does it meet? The Community of Democracies functions as a coalition, not a formal organization. The countries are committed to work together and with existing entities such as the United Nations, regional organizations and civil society to deepen the democratic agenda. A Convening Group now made up of nine countries – Chile, the Czech Republic, India, Mali, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and the United States – is responsible for ongoing leadership and coordination. The Community of Democracies will have a ministerial meeting every two years, with the next one scheduled to take place in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in October 2002.   How does the February 2001 meeting fit into the Community’s goals? The Warsaw Declaration commits the countries to "collaborate on democracy-related issues in existing international and regional institutions, forming coalitions and caucuses to support resolutions and other international activities aimed at the promotion of democratic governance." Such a collaboration, it says, "will help to create an external environment conducive to democratic development." In Warsaw, participants also recommended that regional and multilateral organizations share lessons learned from their experiences in promoting and defending democracy. The meeting in Washington, sponsored by the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies and the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), seeks to establish a permanent dialogue among regional and multilateral organizations, including international financial institutions, on their roles in supporting and sustaining democracy. The idea is to exchange information and perspectives so that the efforts of all these organizations reinforce democratic values and practices in a way that is complementary and consistent.