Cooperation, Citizenship and Democracy

In order to overcome the global challenges several capacities for action, which can contribute to practical progress, can be used or built up: 1) cooperation in partnerships by persons and/or institutions, enterprises or organizations; 2) civic commitments of people or the "corporate citizenship" of enterprises or institutions; 3) options for democratic participation in public affairs including transparency and good governance.

Targets/goals: The Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations rely on the principle of the cooperation and the commitment of different actors on different levels, from different social factions and fields of work (UN [United Nations] 1992, 2.1, 23; UN 2000, § 20). By such a cooperation the participants establish comprehensive tasks within their activities. For example, the Millennium Goals include the building of a global partnership for development.

Trend: + Partnerships are on the rise, and the number of parliamentary democracies has increased just like the institutional, social and technical possibilities for participation. Several indicators show an increase of parliamentary democracies in the 1990s and a stagnation or further increase in the current decade (Economist 2008, 10; Freedom House 2008; Polity IV [roman 4] Project 2008).

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Sources

• Economist 2008: The Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Democracy 2008.  
• Freedom House 2008: Freedom in the World; Electoral Democracies.  
• Polity IV Project 2008: Political Regime Characteristics and Transitions, 1800-2007. 
• UN 1992 – United Nations Conference on Environment and Development: Agenda 21.  Rio de Janeiro, June 1992.
• UN 2000 – United Nations, General Assembly: United Nations Millennium Declaration.  

Draft (2008)

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