Declaration on genuine democracy adopted on 24 January 2013 The
Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations
(INGOs) of the Council of Europe, 1. As an active player in
promoting democracy and defending the principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European
Convention on Human Rights; 2. Noting that “genuine democracy”,
a term enshrined in the Statute of the Council of Europe, goes
hand in hand with “the protection of human rights” and “the rule
of law” as a requirement for accession by states to membership
of the Council of Europe; 3. Believing that there is a need for
the fundamental elements of genuine democracy to be brought
together in a reference text based on existing Council of Europe
conventions and declarations, as well as the case-law of the
European Court of Human Rights; 4. Recalling the work of the
Council of Europe on the principles of genuine democracy*, which
served us as basis for the drafting of this Declaration; 5.
Underlining the need to determine and c