Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives (University of Victoria): ‘Covid-19 in Asia: China, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia in focus’ - 28 May 2021, 12.00 (AEDT)

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This is a book-related webinar hosted by University of Victoria’s Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives and supported by the Centre for Asian and Pacific Law at the University of Sydney (CAPLUS) and the Australian Network for Japanese Law (ANJeL).

This is a book for an extraordinary time, about a pandemic for which there is no modern precedent. It is an edited collection of original essays on Asia’s legal and policy responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, which, in a matter of months, swept around the globe, infecting millions. It transformed daily life in almost every corner of the planet: lockdowns of cities and entire countries, physical distancing and quarantines, travel restrictions and border controls, movement-tracking technology, mandatory closures of all but essential services, economic devastation and mass unemployment, and government assistance programs on record-breaking scales. Yet a pandemic on this scale, under contemporary conditions of globalization, has left governments and their advisors scrambling to improvise solutions, often themselves unprecedented in modern times, such as the initial lockdown of Wuhan.

This collection of essays analyzes law and policy responses across Asia, identifying cross-cutting themes and challenges. It taps the collective knowledge of an interdisciplinary team of sixty-one researchers both in the service of policy development, and with the goal of establishing a scholarly baseline for research after the storm has passed. The collection begins with an epidemiological overview and survey of the law and policy themes. The jurisdiction-specific case studies and cross-cutting thematic essays cover five topics: first wave containment measures; emergency powers; technology, science, and expertise; politics, religion, and governance; and economy, climate, and sustainability.

142nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly: ‘Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: the role of parliaments’ - 24-28 May 2021

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For the first time, the IPU Assembly will stream on a dedicated virtual event platform offering access to participants from around the world, bringing together hundreds of parliamentarians and experts in the world's biggest platform for parliamentary dialogue.

In the weeks leading up to the Assembly, the IPU's statutory bodies will contribute to the theme, including the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, the Forum of Young Parliamentarians as well as four thematic Standing Committees made up of parliamentarians from all regions. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians will also meet in advance of the Assembly to consider what actions to take to defend hundreds of persecuted parliamentarians from dozens of countries.

*REGISTRATION FOR IPU MEMBERS AND PERMANENT OBSERVERS CLOSES 9 MAY.

Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media & Council of Europe: ‘Impact of Covid-19 on media freedom’ - 7 May 2021, 14.00-17.00 (CET)

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During the pandemic, reliable information became critical not only to keep people informed but also safe and healthy. The need for quality, fact-checked journalism has taken on even more relevance in this period.

However, the pandemic has also added new concerns to the media sector, already weakened by the fragile financial situation and increasing threats and violence against journalists. The Covid-19 outbreak prompted response measures which included restrictions of access to information and places due to lockdowns. In some countries, legislative initiatives were taken to prevent disinformation and disorder.

The webinar will focus on the human rights standards related to freedom of expression and media freedom which should guide States’ responses to the pandemic. It will provide further insights into the situation of journalists and other media actors on the ground, as well as explore good practices and recommendations for mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 on media freedom and pluralism.

International IDEA: ‘Covid, Emergencies and Transitions: The Impact of Emergency Law Responses to Covid-19 in Fragile Transitions to Peace and Democracy’ - 6 May 2021, 15.30-16.30 (CEST)

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has reinforced or compounded conflict, human rights violations, disinformation efforts, gender inequality and societal fractures. The emerging post-pandemic world risks being more violent and less democratic. Geopolitical tensions and unilateral action have increased, while the need for collective action has become clearer than ever. The 2021 Stockholm Forum will explore novel approaches and solutions to promoting peace in the age of compound political, social, economic and environmental risks reinforced by Covid-19.

Emergency law responses to Covid-19 have affected peace and transition processes in predictable and unpredictable ways.

International IDEA, together with the Political Settlements Research Programme and the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law (University of Edinburgh), will host a session that will look at the consequences for levels of violent conflict and democratic consolidation. The discussion will be around the results of practice-based research with opportunities for the audience to participate with questions and interactive tools. The panel will address the following questions:

How have emergency law responses been adopted in fragile and conflict-affected settings? What has been the impact of the pandemic and emergency powers, if adopted, on:

• Conflict dynamics

• Scheduling and conducting of elections

• Functioning of transitional state institutions

• Inter-group dynamics in situations of deep division, notably between the centre and the periphery. What factors may have been key in defining the type of impact that different countries and/or substate entities have suffered as a consequence of the pandemic and the resulting emergency law response? What are the implications for policy makers and peacebuilders?

Moderator: Prof. Tom Ginsburg, University of Chicago

Speakers:

• Dr. Sean Molloy, Northumbria Law School

• Prof. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism

• Dr. Adem Abebe, International IDEA

• Dr. Sonia Vohito, Human Rights Activist

Democracy Reporting International (DRI): ‘Extraordinary or extralegal responses? COVID-19 and the rule of law in the EU (report launch and discussion)’ - 5 May 2021, 10.30-12.00 (CET)

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One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, EU Member States have been among the hardest-hit countries in the world. Suffering from high mortality rates and successive waves of infection, states (re)introduced highly restrictive measures.

To evaluate how the pandemic response has affected the rule of law across the EU, Democracy Reporting International gathered assessments from 35 national experts, covering all 27 Member States.

This analysis is brought together in DRI’s new report "Extraordinary or extralegal responses? The rule of law and the COVID-19 crisis", which identifies five critical areas of concern across all EU Member States and provides recommendations on how to address them.

To mark the launch of our new report, we invite you to join the discussion of our findings and further perspectives with:

• Joelle Grogan, Senior lecturer and legal academic at Middlesex University London and author of DRI’s new report

• Álvaro de Elera, Member of European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová’s Cabinet, responsible for the rule of law portfolio

• Veronika Bílková, Member of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe

The event will be moderated by Paul Zoubkov, Manager Europe at Democracy Reporting International. This event is held as part of the re:constitution programme funded by Stiftung Mercator.

RECONNECT: ‘Democracy and Authoritarianism in Africa: Trends and Prospects’ - 27 April 2021, 16.00-17.00 (CET)

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Media headlines suggest that Africa is lapsing back into authoritarianism. But a systematic evaluation of the continent reveals relatively modest levels of overall change in democratic performance in recent years, with positive developments in some countries cancelling out negatives ones in others. However, the combination of economic downturn due to COVID-19, growing debt, and a lack of international focus on protecting democracy bode ill for 2021 and future years. This is important because recent research demonstrates that on average democracies perform better not only on human rights but also in terms of economic growth, human development and corruption. Professor Cheeseman will draw on recent publications, his own research in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and data from V-DEM, Freedom House and BTI to make this argument.

Join us at this 3rd lecture part of our RECONNECT Global Series: "Democratic & Rule of Law Backsliding: Causes, Consequences and Prospects from around the World" which takes stock of developments regarding rule of law and democratic backsliding in specific countries and regions around the globe.

International IDEA, Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies & Open Government Partnership: ‘Towards a Summit for Democracy’ - 23 April 2021, 15.00 (CET) / 9.00 (EST)

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Despite a broad commitment to democratic values and principles, it is evident that today democracy is facing challenges that have been present for some time but that were unveiled and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. These democracy challenges have been at the core of the work of leading organizations such as International IDEA, the Community of Democracies and OGP, that deploy significant efforts to address them—to the extent possible—through the development of multilateral policy and legal framework, the facilitation of platforms, the consolidation of high quality knowledge products, as well as the implementation of technical assistance projects in the field, aimed at supporting and advancing democracy worldwide.

Taking into account the long-standing trajectory and global democracy strengthening work carried out by International IDEA, the Community of Democracies, and the Open Government Partnership, this online event will aim to:

• Enable a conversation around the current global state of democracy, identifying challenges such as democracy backsliding and opportunities for the advancement of democracy;

• Discuss what actions may be put in place to uphold basic democratic practices and institutions at all levels, that can serve as a roadmap for a conversation at a global gathering for democracy; and

• Discuss possible outcomes and key activities of a global gathering for democracy.

Issue One: ‘Disinformation in our Democracy: The 2020 Election, Current Threats, and the Path Forward’ - 20 April 2021, 13.00 (EDT)

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Issue One’s National Council on Election Integrity presents its second event of our 2021 Speaker Series on strengthening our elections, “Disinformation in our Democracy: The 2020 Election, Current Threats, and the Path Forward.”

The 2020 election was the most secure in American history. Despite a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, voters turned out in a way our country hasn’t seen in over a century. At the same time, disinformation spread by politicians and foreign actors flourished online, sowing division and distrust in our democratic system. Following months of false claims that the election was rigged and fraudulent, a violent mob of Americans stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, disrupting a joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes and bringing our republic to the brink.

As we continue to grapple with how we got here and the ways in which disinformation has infected public trust in government and our elections, we must also examine the latest trends and actors, and the impact complex disinformation campaigns are continuing to have in our country.

Please join us for a robust discussion with leading experts about these root causes and the bold solutions our government and corporations can take to combat the growing threat that disinformation presents to our way of life.

Panelists:

Vanessa Cárdenas - President, CardenasStrategies, LLC

Chloe Colliver - Head of Digital Policy and Strategy, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Gordon Crovitz - Co-Founder and Co-CEO of NewsGuard

Ben Scott - Executive Director, Reset and Policy & Advocacy Advisor, Luminate

Nick Penniman (Moderator) - CEO and Founder of Issue One

Freedom House, Center for Strategic and International Studies & McCain Institute: ‘A New US Strategy to Support Democracy and Counter Authoritarianism’ - 14 April 2021, 12.00-14.30 (EDT)

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Freedom House, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the McCain Institute formed the Task Force on US Strategy to Support Democracy and Counter Authoritarianism, a bipartisan group of leaders, experts, and former policy makers committed to addressing the worldwide decline in democratic freedom and the rise in authoritarianism that endanger US national security.

In recent decades, the rapid pace of technological, economic, demographic, and geopolitical change has challenged democracies and created space for authoritarians to flourish. Now, looming political and economic crises exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic threaten the political processes and underlying stability of many democracies.

On April 14, the Task Force will release its report on these profound global changes and impart its recommendations for a US foreign policy and national security strategy that prioritizes the advancement of democracy and the fight against authoritarianism.

Please join us for conversations about the future of global democracy featuring US Sen. Mitt Romney, journalist Nina Easton, Executive Chairman of the McCain Institute Ambassador Josette Sheeran, CSIS president and CEO John Hamre, Freedom House president Michael J. Abramowitz, and members of the Task Force, as well as remarks by Honorable Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Chatham House: ‘The Implications of Restrictions to Online Freedom of Expression in Asia’ -25 March 2021, 12.30-13.30 (GMT)

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In recent years, state-led clampdowns on online freedom of expression have become widespread in several countries across Asia, further intensified by the COVID-19 crisis. The reasons for this are complex and diverse – drawing upon history, culture and politics, in addition to external influences. Across the region, governments have been accused of silencing online criticism and failing to uphold rights to free speech.

Individuals have been arrested, fined or attacked for the alleged spread of ‘fake news’, raising concern among human rights organizations. In some countries, this has culminated in the imposition of new social media rules, which could require social media companies to censor posts and share decrypted messages. In China, the government’s restrictive online regime has relied on a combination of legal, technical and manipulation tactics to manage control of the internet, and now includes attempts at censorship beyond its borders.

Panellists will discuss the latest regional developments affecting online freedom of expression in the Asia region, and will consider the broader regional and international implications for technology governance. This webinar launches the publication Restrictions on online freedom of expression in China: The domestic, regional and international implications of China’s policies and practices.

Speakers:

Urvashi Aneja - Associate Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House

Yaqiu Wang - Researcher, Human Rights Watch

Champa Patel (Chair) - Director, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House

World Justice Project: ‘World Justice Challenge 2021 Finalists Regional Showcase - Advancing the Rule of Law in a Time of Crisis’ - 24 & 31 March, 7 & 14 April 2021

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The World Justice Challenge 2021: Advancing the Rule of Law in a Time of Crisis is a global competition to identify, recognize, and promote good accountable governance practices and high-impact projects and policies that protect and advance the rule of law in this time of unprecedented crisis. This year, the World Justice Project received over 425 submissions from 114 countries. From these 425 submissions, 30 finalists have been selected to take part in an online regional showcase event.

Over the course of a month, WJP and its partners will be hosting four regional showcase events. The events will feature an assessment by WJP's regional partners of the efforts underway in countries of the region to "build back better" from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in four areas—access to justice for all, accountable governance, fundamental rights and non-discrimination, and anti-corruption and open government.

These events will also give our 30 finalists an opportunity to present their projects and share key insights into their objectives and impact as a basis to select the six winners of the World Justice Challenge 2021. After the presentations, participants will be invited to engage in a Q&A session with finalists in different breakout rooms.

International Foundation for Electoral Systems: ‘Democratic Resilience a Year Out From the Start of the Pandemic’ - 25 March 2021, 9.00-10.30 (EDT) / 14.00-15.30 (CET)

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One year ago, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The impact of the pandemic has reached further than many of us expected and changed countless aspects of our global society, including how elections take place and the ways in which democracy has had to adapt to overcome these new challenges.

IFES would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the greatest challenges and lessons learned from the pandemic’s impact on democratic resilience in Europe over the past year. We will examine this impact through the lens of electoral integrity, looking at the similarities and differences between the French municipal elections, Croatia’s parliamentary elections during the midpoint of the pandemic and recent parliamentary elections in Kosovo.

In line with the previous installments of the webinar series, the event will be held live via Zoom and feature simultaneous interpretation from English into Albanian, Armenian, Georgian, Macedonian, Russian, South Slavic language and Ukrainian.

The event will be moderated by IFES Regional Europe Office Director Dr. Magnus Öhman and feature the following panelists:

• Anthony Banbury - President and CEO, IFES

• Ivana Belec - Member, State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia

• Romain Rambaud - University Professor Specializing in Electoral Law, Université Grenoble-Alpes, France

• Albert Krasniqi - Democracy Plus, Kosovo

International IDEA: ‘Thriving Democracy - EU Action and Partnerships to Sustain Democracy’ - 18 March 2021, 14.00-15.30 (CET)

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Join international leaders, civil society, and policy-makers in discussing the EU's ongoing work to support democracy against growing challenges. The event will feature Keynote Addresses by Ms Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Ambassador Lisa Peterson, Senior Official for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights and Acting Assistant Secretary at the US State Department.

These Keynotes will be followed by a timely debate on EU-level and multilateral approaches to defending democracy.

Discussants include:

• Staffan I. Lindberg, Democracy Network 21, Director of V-Dem Institute;

• Kevin Casas-Zamora (Secretary-General, International IDEA);

• Jonas Parello-Plesner (Executive Director, The Alliance of Democracies Foundation);

• Teija Tiilikainen (Director, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats).

In light of the global trend of democratic backsliding, increasing authoritarian tendencies and rising hybrid influencing, there is a need for continued leadership, action, and partnerships to make democracy thrive in the world. The EU has taken up the challenge by adopting the new EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and European Democracy Action Plan. The EU also supports the plan of the U.S. President Joe Biden to host a global Summit for Democracy in 2021. The debate will focus on this renewed momentum for multilateral cooperation and partnerships to sustain democracy.

The event is organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (as the Presidency of Nordic Council of Ministers), Democracy Network 21 (a Finnish-Swedish multi-stakeholder platform), the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

RECONNECT: ‘India's Authoritarian Turn’ - 17 March 2021, 16.00-17.00 (CET)

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Join us at the 2nd lecture of our RECONNECT Global Webinar Series: "Democratic and Rule of Law Backsliding. Causes, Consequences and Prospects from around the World." As the series takes stock of major developments in specific countries and regions around the world with regard to rule of law and democracy backsliding, Prof. Rahul Mukherji will share insights and recent developments from India. The talk will discuss the variety of ways in which institutions are being turned to favour the political incumbent but will also discuss how society resists these dynamics.

German Marshall Fund: ‘Human Rights and Democracy in the Age of Digital Transformation and COVID-19’ - 16 March 2021, 12.00-13.00 (EDT)

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Across the globe, human rights and democratic institutions are under threat. Adherence to the rule of law, free and open elections, free expression and assembly, and the independence of the judiciary are being challenged, exacerbated by the global pandemic. At the same time, the internet is transforming government and society, accelerating both the ability to improve and to curtail fundamental rights.

Please join us for a conversation with preeminent jurist, Robert Spano, president of the European Court of Human Rights, to explore the impact of these developments and the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights and democracy.

Brookings Institution: ‘The role of youth in preserving democracies in times of crisis: A shared goal of the United States and Africa’ - 15 March 2021, 13.00-14.00 (EDT)

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As nations face multiple, intersecting challenges from threats to democracy to public health education to climate change, how government responds to these challenges matters. On March 15, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative will host H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first female president, and Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, for a discussion on the intersection of leadership, youth, and good governance in times of crisis. Helene Cooper, New York Times correspondent and author of “Madame President,” will moderate the discussion. After the program, the panelists will take audience questions.

Threats to good governance have been on the rise, as third termism has spread and the rule of law has deteriorated in Africa, and as the January 6 insurrection revealed the fragility of American democracy. Despite these signs of democratic backsliding, though, a plurality of Americans and Africans still agree on the importance of good governance and democratic principles. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity of good governance and collective action for protecting and improving the livelihoods of all citizens.

Importantly, Africa’s growing youth population is coming of age in this time of unprecedented opportunities and strained institutions, and they are eager to serve their communities to better the livelihoods of their fellow citizens. Given the daunting tasks facing leaders today—perhaps most acutely, the equitable and efficient distribution of vaccines—good governance, strong institutions, and investment in leadership are more important than ever. Thus, one pathway for passionate young people, in both Africa and the United States, is public service, as an effective and dedicated civil service protects the economic and human rights of all citizens.

The pandemic and recent tumultuous events have elevated conversations around public leadership and responsibility, the role of civil society, institutional decline, and the future of good governance in both Africa and the United States. In times of crisis, how can we preserve gains in good governance and democracy? How do we strengthen institutions? What is the role of youth? How can we ensure inclusive leadership opportunities, especially for women? How can we best equip them to be leaders during the COVID-19 crisis and in the future? How can we encourage international cooperation and support around these shared challenges?