Prospects for Global Democracy

The spread of democracy has been a continuing process at national levels. More and more countries of the world are switching over to democratic forms of government. However, the fact remains that at the international level, powerful democracies are still unwilling to accept smaller nations as equals.

The United Nations continues to have five big powers vested with a veto. They are unwilling to expand the permanent membership of the Security Council even though so many changes have taken place since 1945. Veto is the very antithesis of democracy.

The Security Council however goes on with this power vested in five nations of the world. Japan, Germany, or for that purpose even India is not what it was when the UN has formed sixty years ago. The world powers however refuse to recognize the change.

Besides the Security Council, such denial of equality can also be seen in the working of the International Monetary Fund (IMO). The 173 members of the Fund do not have equal rights. The majority of votes lie with countries that have given maximum funds to the international agency. These are referred to as the G8 countries and include Canada, Germany, Japan, Italy, the UK, the USA, Russia, and France.

The World Bank too functions in a manner that can hardly be termed democratic. The President of the World Bank is invariably dominated by the Finance Minister of the US. Such nomination goes against the core value of democracy.

World Trade Organization apparently functions in a democratic manner. However, highly industrialized countries like the USA have their own pressure groups. These groups force decisions that protect their own interests. The US expects that the markets in developing countries should be open to their products and services. However, it is unwilling to allow similar freedom of mobility in respect of labor from developing countries.

Global democracy at best remains a dream that is worth pursuing. There are no immediate prospects of democracy being adopted at international forums. The US is now the only superpower left in the world arena. It can afford to act unilaterally where its own interests are involved. It would not agree to any suggestion that would compromise the lifestyles of its own people.

In the name of providing security to its own people, it would justify pre-emptive attacks on other countries. The USA would not allow similar attacks on other democracies of the world. US army can go to Afghanistan or Iraq but India cannot cross the LoC and attack the terrorist training camps functioning in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It took centuries for democracy to gain roots in different countries of the world. It will be long before it strikes roots at the global level.

Read More: Factors Promoting Democracy: Democracy in the Contemporary World