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Doha: Qatar's foreign minister said here yesterday that no country in the world has a monopoly over the concept of democracy at the opening of a UN-sponsored summit on new and restored democracies.
Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jabr Al Thani, Qatar's First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister, was addressing delegates at the opening of the Sixth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies.
"There is no single global model for democratic system. Democracy did not belong in any day to a certain country or region," the minister said addressing some 500 representatives from parliaments, governments and non-governmental organisations in 192 countries including Israel.
"There are many criss-crossing lines among democratic states," said Shaikh Hamad to what seemed to be a direct address to the international pressures on Arab States to bring about political reforms.
"Democracy in the international system is the other side of this equation. Without an international democracy well-founded on the principles and rights stipulated in the UN charter, namely the right of peoples under occupation to self-determination, democracy will not be true," he added.
Shaikha Haya Al Khalifa, President of the UN General Assembly, said emerging democratic systems must take into consideration historical and local features.
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"While supporting emerging democracies, we must consider that there is no unique model for democracy... history and traditional political systems must be taken into consideration," she said.
Shaikha Haya said a recent worldwide poll conducted in 65 countries showed that 8 people out of 10 support democracy as the best governing system. "Democracy provides the framework for human development, security and human rights protection," she added.
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