,,iii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #edj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #aj1 #bjad,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,mc,cain1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 and ,mr4 ,durbin7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,september #ah1 #bjad,reported by ,mr4 ,menendez1 without amendment ,december #c1 #bjad;,considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,recognizing ,september #ae1 #bjad1 as the ,international ,day of ,democracy1 affirming the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy1 and encouraging all governments to stand with civil society in the face of mounting restrictions on civil society organizations4 ,whereas in #bjjg1 ,september #ae of each year was established by the ,united ,nations as the ,international ,day of ,democracy1 a day set aside to review the state of democracy in the world2 ,whereas democracy is a means of government that makes manifest the free exercise of certain inalienable rights1 among them being the freedom of assembly1 the freedom of association1 the freedom of the press1 and the freedom of speech2 ,whereas democracy allows for participatory governance1 mobilizing citizens to strive for their version of the good and instilling hope that the aspirations of the people may one day be realized2 ,whereas an analysis of #hd independent studies shows that democracy has a favorable impact on the formation of human capital1 the rate of inflation1 the level of economic freedom1 and the stability of political institutions2 ,whereas democracy promotes tolerance and respect by recognizing the human dignity of all people and is necessary to the full realization of the values enshrined in the ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights2 ,whereas the ,organisation for ,economic ,co-operation and ,development 7,,oecd7 defines civil society as associations around which society voluntarily organizes itself and which represent a wide range of interests and ties1 including community-based organizations1 indigenous peoples' organizations1 and non-government organizations 7,n,g,os72 ,whereas a vibrant civil society is an essential element of democratic societies and plays a key role in providing transparency1 ensuring the legitimacy of elections1 advocating for marginalized groups1 and making clear the will of the people2 ,whereas1 since #bjab1 the ,international ,center for ,not-for-,profit ,law has identified #fi new restrictive measures in over #ej countries hindering the ability of civil society organizations 7,c,s,os7 to freely operate2 ,whereas of the #ih countries for which data is available1 research presented in a #bjac article for the ,journal of ,democracy explains that #ab prohibit and #ci restrict foreign funding of domestic ,n,g,os2 ,whereas in #bjjj1 the ,community of ,democracies was founded to bring together governments1 civil society1 and the private sector in the pursuit of a common goal3 supporting democratic rules and strengthening democratic norms and institutions around the world2 ,whereas in #bjaa1 the ,united ,states joined other like-minded governments to establish the ,lifeline3 ,embattled ,civil ,society ,organizations ,fund to provide small grants to ,c,s,os for immediate needs and to support short-term advocacy projects2 ,whereas1 through the ,open ,government ,partnership1 #fc countries have committed to protecting the ability of ,c,s,os to operate in a manner that is consistent with the rights to freedom of expression1 association1 and opinion2 ,whereas in ,september #bjac1 on the sidelines of the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly1 the ,united ,states launched a coordinated multilateral effort encouraging countries to stand with civil society and push back against growing restrictions on ,c,s,os2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,special ,rapporteur on the ,rights to ,freedom of ,peaceful ,assembly and of ,association stands on the front lines of civil society protection1 documenting extensive global threats to civil society and strengthening international norms2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states remains committed to its stand with civil society by developing new mechanisms to combat restrictions on civil society and bolster civil society's efforts to support democracy around the world3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 supports the goals and ideals of the ,international ,day of ,democracy2 7#b7 recognizes the importance of civil society to the healthy development of nations2 7#c7 celebrates the invaluable contributions civil society has made to the creation1 strength1 and preservation of vibrant democracies and democratic institutions2 7#d7 reaffirms the commitment of the ,united ,states to the protection1 advancement1 health1 and sustainability of democracy throughout the world2 7#e7 condemns the use of restrictions1 coercion1 threats1 or force to impede the activities of civil society organizations2 7#f7 recognizes the important multilateral work of the ,community of ,democracies1 the ,lifeline3 ,embattled ,civil ,society ,organizations ,fund1 the ,open ,government ,partnership1 and the ,united ,nations ,special ,rapporteur on the ,rights to ,freedom of ,peaceful ,assembly and of ,association to protect global civil society2 7#g7 recognizes the important role diplomacy plays in defending global civil society and creating new openings for civic space2 7#h7 emphasizes the value of programs of the ,united ,states ,government in protecting civil society and defending civic space1 including the work by the ,senior ,advisor for ,civil ,society and ,emerging ,democracies and the ,bureau of ,democracy1 ,human ,rights1 and ,labor of the ,united ,states ,department of ,state1 and the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7,,usaid72 7#i7 calls on private sector partners and other governments to develop new tools and leverage existing technologies to support the efforts of civil society2 and 7#aj7 encourages the people of the ,united ,states and the world to observe the ,international ,day of ,democracy1 ,september #ae1 #bjad1 with appropriate programs and activities4