United Nations and Democracy Building

Catalog description

This class deals with the work of the United Nations system in support of democracy, through initiatives in the fields of electoral assistance, the promotion of gender equality, parliamentary support, the strengthening of civil society and citizens’ engagement, human rights protection, education for democracy, constitution making, access to justice and the rule of law, and political participation through the consolidation of multi-party systems. The class will assess how the UN addresses democracy building within the three pillars of its work: peace & security, sustainable development and human rights. By analyzing case studies and by meeting with UN practitioners and experts, students will gain a first-hand knowledge of the main democracy-related policy issues emerging in current UN programs and policy fora.