From December 9-10, 2021, President Biden hosted a virtual Summit for Democracy, which brought together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle together the greatest threats democracies face today. The Summit provided a platform for leaders to make both individual and collective commitments to strengthen democracy, combat corruption, and defend human rights at home and abroad.
As a core U.S. Government commitment toward achieving the Summit’s objectives, President Biden announced the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal, a landmark new set of policy initiatives and foreign assistance programs that will significantly expand and update the U.S. government’s work to bolster democracy and defend human rights globally. As part of the Presidential Initiative, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) laid out a series of signature initiatives touching each of the Presidential Initiative’s five pillars.
Administrator Power participated in several public events to underscore USAID’s commitment to advancing democracy, protecting human rights, and countering corruption, including:
- December 6, 2021 — Youth Assembly for the Summit for Democracy (Partner-sponsored event hosted by the Community of Democracies YouthLeads Network). Transcript
- December 7, 2021 — All Hands on Deck: Innovating Together to Combat Transnational Corruption (Pre-Summit Host-Sponsored Virtual Event hosted by USAID). Transcript
- December 10, 2021 — Expanding Civic Space: Empowering Human Rights Defenders and Independent Media Within and Across Borders (Main Summit Session). Transcript
- December 10, 2021 — Countering Digital Authoritarianism and Affirming Democratic Values (Main Summit Session). Transcript
The December 2021 Summit also kicked off a “year of action,” in which participants are encouraged to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to make meaningful internal reforms and support international initiatives that advance the Summit’s goals. In approximately one year, President Biden will host a second Summit for Democracy to take stock of the progress made and advance a common path ahead. If public health conditions permit, this meeting will be convened in-person.