On September 15, International Day of Democracy.
15 September 2025
This holiday was established by the UN General Assembly in 2007 and provides an opportunity to assess the significance of democracy for the development of society, the protection of human rights, and the promotion of peaceful coexistence on the planet.
Democracy is not an abstraction or a fixed state of affairs. In a practical sense, it is a set of institutions: free and fair elections, elected office, civil rights and freedoms, and independent media. At the same time, democracy itself can take many forms. As the UN resolution rightly notes, there is no single, universal model of democracy. In some countries, it manifests itself as majority rule, while in others, it manifests itself as a maximally equal distribution of power among various social groups. But the essence lies not only in the presence of institutions, but in how they function. When they function properly democracy becomes the foundation of the security and well-being of society on a daily basis.
Democracy also relies on citizen participation in public and political life. This international holiday was created to draw the attention of societies around the world to the actions of people in global governance. The political systems of states around the world have evolved over many years. During this time, the public has experienced various methods of governance and organizations, submitting to various political regimes. On the path to perfection, the people have come to the unanimous conclusion that power cannot be abused; it must be equally divided among every social unit and used strictly in the interests of the country, for its benefit. Therefore, on International Democracy Day, it is important to remember that democracy is not only institutions, but also people.
The active participation of citizens in the country's political life has been evident throughout our history, as all significant decisions for the Abkhazian people have historically been made with the participation of the people. Fundamental democratic principles are protected by the Constitution of Abkhazia, which explicitly states that the Republic of Abkhazia is a sovereign, democratic, and legal state, and that the bearer of sovereignty and the sole source of power in the Republic of Abkhazia are its people – the citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia. We celebrate International Democracy Day annually to remind ourselves once again of its importance and fragility, despite the changes occurring in the global political landscape, the Republic of Abkhazia will not deviate from its chosen path of building a democratic society in which human and civil rights and freedoms are recognized and guaranteed in accordance with the universally recognized principles and norms of international law.
Democracy is not an abstraction or a fixed state of affairs. In a practical sense, it is a set of institutions: free and fair elections, elected office, civil rights and freedoms, and independent media. At the same time, democracy itself can take many forms. As the UN resolution rightly notes, there is no single, universal model of democracy. In some countries, it manifests itself as majority rule, while in others, it manifests itself as a maximally equal distribution of power among various social groups. But the essence lies not only in the presence of institutions, but in how they function. When they function properly democracy becomes the foundation of the security and well-being of society on a daily basis.
Democracy also relies on citizen participation in public and political life. This international holiday was created to draw the attention of societies around the world to the actions of people in global governance. The political systems of states around the world have evolved over many years. During this time, the public has experienced various methods of governance and organizations, submitting to various political regimes. On the path to perfection, the people have come to the unanimous conclusion that power cannot be abused; it must be equally divided among every social unit and used strictly in the interests of the country, for its benefit. Therefore, on International Democracy Day, it is important to remember that democracy is not only institutions, but also people.
The active participation of citizens in the country's political life has been evident throughout our history, as all significant decisions for the Abkhazian people have historically been made with the participation of the people. Fundamental democratic principles are protected by the Constitution of Abkhazia, which explicitly states that the Republic of Abkhazia is a sovereign, democratic, and legal state, and that the bearer of sovereignty and the sole source of power in the Republic of Abkhazia are its people – the citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia. We celebrate International Democracy Day annually to remind ourselves once again of its importance and fragility, despite the changes occurring in the global political landscape, the Republic of Abkhazia will not deviate from its chosen path of building a democratic society in which human and civil rights and freedoms are recognized and guaranteed in accordance with the universally recognized principles and norms of international law.