Concert of Democracies (President McCain)

The League of Democracies is an international organization whose stated aims are to strengthen security cooperation among the world’s liberal democracies and to provide a framework in which they can work together to effectively tackle common challenges - ideally within existing regional and global institutions, but if those institutions fail, then independently, functioning as a focal point for efforts to strengthen liberty under law around the world. It would serve as the institutional embodiment and ratification of the “democratic peace”.

History
The League of Democracies was founded by the world's liberal democracies and to provide a framework in which they could work together to effectively tackle common challenges. while existing withing regional and global institutions, such as the United Nations, but should function independently as a focal point for efforts to strengthen liberty under law around the world, if those institutions should fail.

On February 15, 2005, the Conference on International Organization began in Zurich, Switzerland, attended by democratic governments involved in drafting the Charter of a Concert of Democracies. The League of Democracies officially came into existence on March 30, 1945 upon the ratification of the Treaty of Zurich by the attending governments, including three permanent members of the UN Security Council — France, the United Kingdom and the United States. The first meetings of the League of Democracies, with 51 nations represented, took place in London in January 2006.

The Charter for a Concert of Democracies
As a charter, it is a constituent treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, the Charter states that the obligations to the League of Democracies are to exist within regional and global institutions like the United Nations. However, should the UN of other organisations fail, the League of Democracies should function independently as a focal point for efforts to strengthen liberty under law around the world.


 * 1) The Parties pledge never to use military force, and never to plan to use military force, against one other.
 * 2) The Parties commit to hold multiparty, free, and fair elections at regular intervals.
 * 3) The Parties commit to uphold internationally recognized civil and political rights for all their citizens and to make these rights enforceable by an independent judiciary.
 * 4) The Parties recognize that sovereign states have a responsibility to protect their own citizens from avoidable catastrophe - mass murder and rape, ethnic cleansing by forcible expulsion and terror, and deliberative starvation and exposure to disease - but that when they are unwilling or unable to do so, that responsibility must be borne by the international community.
 * 5) The Parties undertake to contribute to the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by promoting liberal democracy as a model of government and by bringing about a better understanding throughout the world of the principles upon which democratic institutions are founded.
 * 6) The Treaty does not affect, and shall not be interpreted as affecting in any way, the rights and obligations under the U.N. Charter of the Parties which are members of the United Nations, or the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security.
 * 7) Action pursuant to article four and consistent with the purposes of the United Nations, including the use of military force, may be approved by a two-thirds majority of the parties.
 * 8) Action to enforce the purposes of the United Nations in the wake of a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression, may be approved by a two-third majority of the parties.

Membership
With the addition of Albania on April 5, 2009, there are currently 92 member states of the Concert of Democracies.

Organisation
The Consort of Democracies is ultimately governed by its 26 member states. However, the Charter of the Concert of Democracies, and other agreements, outline how decisions are to be made within NATO. Each of the 26 members sends a delegation or mission to NATO’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The senior permanent member of each delegation is known as the Permanent Representative and is generally a senior civil servant or an experienced ambassador (and holding that diplomatic rank).

Together the Permanent Members form the Democratic Council (DC), a body which meets together at least once a week and has effective political authority and powers of decision in the Concert. From time to time the Council also meets at higher levels involving Foreign Ministers, Defence Ministers or Heads of State or Government (HOSG) and it is at these meetings that major decisions regarding the Concert’s policies are generally taken. However, it is worth noting that the Council has the same authority and powers of decision-making, and its decisions have the same status and validity, at whatever level it meets. Summits also form a further venue for decisions on complex issues, such as enlargement.

The meetings of the North Atlantic Council are chaired by the Secretary General and, when decisions have to be made, action is agreed upon on the basis of two-thirds majority. Each nation represented at the Council table or on any of its subordinate committees retains complete sovereignty and responsibility for its own decisions.

Role of NATO
Since the establishment of the Concert of Democracies, the NATO alliance has had an important role in several international operations. In 2006, the operation to stop the genocide by the Sudanese government in Darfur was led by troops of NATO members, commanded by NATO under a mandate of the Concert of Democracies.