Ambassador Elisabeth Millard
Senior Area Advisor for Europe and Eurasia
New York, New York
November 18, 2021
Introductory Statement for the Strengthening the Role of the United Nations in Enhancing Periodic and Genuine Elections and the Promotion of Democratization Resolution
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Chairperson.
The United States is pleased to introduce a resolution on strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections. We are happy to be joined by 87 co-sponsors from across different regions of the world in affirming Member States’ responsibility to ensure free and fair elections. The biennial resolution supports the UN Electoral Assistance Division’s work to help democracies and countries undergoing democratization to build fair and sustainable national electoral systems. It also promotes the universality of democratic values based on the free will of the people and their full participation in all aspects of public affairs, including the need for free and fair elections in which all citizens can participate. We are also pleased that the resolution emphasizes the importance of inclusion of all women and girls in political processes and recognizes the need to ensure political participation and voting by citizens who are marginalized and underrepresented.
We call upon Member States to uphold and promote the commitments they have made in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular, the commitment that the will of the people, as expressed through periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of government authority. Moreover, we condemn any manipulation of electoral processes that undermines the free expression of the will of the electors. Elections should be representative of a diverse and vast electorate and all eligible citizens need to be free to participate in order to truly derive a fair result. The United States looks forward to the adoption of this important resolution by consensus, to strengthen the UN role in enhancing elections and promoting democracy.
Thank you, Chairperson.
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