International Day of Democracy 2027 is on Wednesday

About International Day of Democracy

The International Day of Democracy treats democracy as both a goal and an ongoing process that needs governments, parliaments, civil society and individual citizens to keep it working. The UN links it closely to human rights. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says the will of the people should be the basis of a government's authority, expressed through periodic and genuine elections with universal and equal suffrage and a secret vote.

The General Assembly created the day in resolution 62/7, adopted on November 8, 2007, and decided that it would be observed every September 15. The resolution came out of a series of International Conferences of New or Restored Democracies, the first of which was held in Manila in 1988, and it noted that 2008, the first year of the observance, was that conference's 20th anniversary.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union, the global organization of national parliaments, has been a major promoter of the day and encourages its member parliaments to hold events. The IPU adopted its own Universal Declaration on Democracy in Cairo on September 16, 1997, setting out basic principles of democratic government.

Within the UN system, the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) supports civil society projects on participation, independent media and accountable institutions, and it has funded more than a thousand initiatives in its first two decades. For the 2026 observance, UNDEF and the UN Office for Partnerships held an event at UN Headquarters on citizens' assemblies and deliberative democracy.

Sources: United Nations: International Day of Democracy, General Assembly resolution 62/7 (2007), Inter-Parliamentary Union: Universal Declaration on Democracy (1997), archived, Inter-Parliamentary Union: International Day of Democracy overview, archived. How we check dates.

How to mark International Day of Democracy

• Check that your voter registration is current and look up the dates of your next local, state or national election.
• Attend a city council, school board or town hall meeting, or watch one online.
• Read your country's constitution or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, focusing on the articles about elections and free expression.
• Support independent local journalism with a subscription or donation.
• Volunteer as a poll worker or election observer where that is open to the public.
• Host a civil discussion on a local issue where people with different views each get an equal hearing.

International Day of Democracy dates