U.N. warns democracy under threat

The U.N. report says democracy has shown itself to be the best hope for "securing and sustaining well-being"

MANILA, Philippines -- Recent progress on human rights and the growth of democracy around the world should not become casualties of the global war against terror, a report from the United Nations has warned.

In its 12th annual Human Development Report, the United Nations Development Program has said that anti-terrorist measures in the wake of the September 11 attacks on America risked "violating human rights or at least make it easier for them to be violated."

Following the attacks on New York and Washington, several countries rushed through legislation designed to crack down on terrorist activities. But such moves have sparked alarm from human rights groups who say the new laws could be used to silence legitimate opposition.

"Democracies face difficult challenges in devising legitimate ways to prevent terrorist attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice," the report said.

"In addressing legitimate concerns about public safety, free societies cannot afford to lose sight of protecting core human freedoms."

WEBLINK Click here  to read the full Human Devlopment Report from the UNDP   MORE STORIES • Australia tops Asia-Pacific quality of life index

The annual Human Development Report is billed by the United Nations as a comprehensive measure of human progress around the world -- examining such factors as poverty, political empowerment and the protection of human rights.

Conflict prevention

The 2002 report, entitled "Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World," puts the focus squarely on democracy as the system of governance the authors say is "most capable of... preventing conflict and of securing and sustaining well-being."

Speaking at the official launch of the report in Manila, the document's principal author, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, said there was no evidence to support the notion that authoritarian regimes are better for political stability and economic growth.

The report's authors say established democracies are much less likely to experience civil war

"The desire for stability often leads to the notion that non-democratic regimes hold out the prospect of greater public order and faster economic development," he said. "But the evidence suggests they deliver neither."

Citing recent research from around the world, the report's authors say that established democracies are much less likely to experience civil war, while democracies themselves rarely go to war against each other.

It also says that even newly established democracies are better suited to coping with political unrest than authoritarian regimes, largely because they offer non-violent ways of resolving political disputes.

Despite this, the report warns that rising levels of corruption and inequality are threatening to push back the spread of democracy seen following the end of Cold War.

Failing democracies

Speaking at the launch of the report in Manila, Mark Malloch Brown, administrator of the UNDP, said the big lesson since the 1980s was that political development played a "critical role" in allowing people to shape their own lives.

"Lots of nations aren't very good democracies," he told reporters. "They have lost the trust of their citizens. And very few of them are delivering what their citizens want -- prosperity, health schools."

Failed states and poor governance are seen as breeding grounds for terrorism, the report says

He said a roll-back in democracy had important implications for the fight against terror.

"Terrorism feeds on failed states and poor governance as much as failures of national security," he said.

"We cannot successfully address one without the other," he added.

Speaking to CNN Wednesday, Omar Noman, Deputy Director of the UNDP said the report was " a celebration of democracy across the world," adding it was "important to stress that the dark era of dictatorship is over."

However, he added that the "celebration" should be tempered with concern about the growth of some democracies and the need to deepen democracy in certain countries and "expand democratic justice."

In its report, the UNDP listed some 140 nations as democracies, but said little more than half of them had fully democratic institutions with legitimate elections and established checks on power.

The 275-page report ranks 173 nations according to a broad range of quality of life criteria.

In 2002 Norway held its spot at the top of the index with Sweden, Canada, Belgium and Australia all outranking the United States.

At the other end of the scale, Sierra Leone continued its hold on last place.

Overall, 15 of the top 20 nations are in Europe while all the bottom 24 countries in the index are in Africa.