The Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) has been established as a result of the commitment by the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe at their 4th Summit in Reykjavik 2023 to secure and strengthen democracy, as embodied in the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy.  

Based on the Reykjavik Principles, the CDDEM promotes and facilitates thematic exchanges and peer reviews of experience and good practices among Council of Europe member States to develop common policy responses and standards, as well as tools, to strengthen democracy, its institutions and processes and good governance at all levels – national, regional and local; and to enhance the meaningful participation in democratic life of all members of society, notably of young persons and civil society.

The CDDEM has an overall responsibility to address democracy as a value, form of rule and practice, looking into democratic systems’ foundational principles, institutions and processes. This holistic approach is to complement and further the sectoral work of the Organisation on individual essential components of democracy and, to this end, the Steering Committee collaborates closely with its sectoral counterparts. In addition, the CDDEM works on democratic renewal through participatory and deliberative models of democracy at all levels, seeking ways to include more citizens in policy-making and ensure that everyone is able to play their role in democratic processes. 

The Steering Committee focuses in its work on a wide range of current and emerging issues, including identifying and countering the causes of democratic backsliding; removing barriers to meaningful and effective civil society participation; addressing growing voters’ disaffection from elections; enhancing the resilience of democracies through good governance reforms; harnessing the opportunities and minimising the negative aspects of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, and assisting Ukraine in the recovery and reconstruction of democratic institutions and governance.

In sum, the CDDEM is tasked with addressing democracy at the systemic level – its challenges and evolution – and transforming general concepts and principles into standards, policies, and practical tools for their implementation, as well as identifying good practices which can serve as a reference for the authorities and other stakeholders.