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USAID STRATEGY ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND GOVERNANCEEXECUTIVE SUMMARYUSAID’s Democracy, Human Rights and Governance(DRG) Strategy provides a framework to support theestablishment and consolidation of inclusive andaccountable democracies to advance freedom, dignity, anddevelopment. Support for DRG is vital to the pursuit offreedom and national security, and is essential to achieve theAgency’s and the United States Government’s broader socialand economic development goals.This new strategy achieves the following:Affirms DRG as integral to USAID’s overall developmentagenda. Strong democratic institutions, respect for humanrights, and participatory, accountable governance are crucialelements for improving peoples’ lives in a sustainable way. PromotingDRG is also critical to the U.S. national interest becauseit promotes peace, security, stability, and prosperity. Finally, promotionof democracy, human rights and governance is areflection of fundamental American values and identity.Builds the DRG foundation needed to eradicate extremepoverty. As the President stated in his 2013 State of the UnionAddress, the United States is committed to working with itspartners to eradicate extreme poverty in the next two decades.The underlying causes that perpetuate extreme poverty are notlimited to economic factors. Poverty is underpinned by poorand undemocratic governance, weak and corrupt institutions,and entrenched power dynamics that lead to political and economicexclusion. Poverty is perpetuated when governmentsare unable to manage conflict, natural disasters or economicshocks that roll back development gains. Sustainableapproaches to address poverty therefore require improvementsin DRG to develop responsive government institutions capableof providing basic services and fostering inclusive economicgrowth. Democratic institutions not only encourage citizen participationand the provision of policies and services that arefocused on citizen needs, but also provide a legal and policyframework for expanding economic opportunity by securingproperty rights, enforcing contracts and regulating markets.Efforts to promote human rights and build inclusive, participatory,and accountable institutions associated with democraticsystems will be a key element in efforts to end extreme poverty.Outlines an approach for supporting and defending civilsociety. USAID supports the aspirations of people to contributeto the decisions that shape their own societies. Citizenvoice and civic expression are essential to building and sustainingdemocratic societies. Civil society organizations providechannels for citizen voice and can help citizens hold governmentaccountable. Closing space for civil society in some partsof the world is a growing challenge. Restrictive media laws,laws governing non-governmental organizations (NGO), andharassment or persecution of civil society activists, have limitedfreedom of speech and association in many places. Throughnew legal, regulatory and enforcement measures, some governmentshave sought to make it harder for civic organizations toregister as legal entities, to access financial support from privateand public sources, to carry out activities, and to conduct outreachefforts. Civic organizations are responding individually andcollectively to defend their rights. These organizations aresome of the most important development partners, and theymust be able to operate freely in their societies. USAID isstrongly committed to supporting civil society and standing upfor fundamental rights, including the freedoms of associationand speech, wherever they may be threatened.Promotes democracy, human rights and governance throughthe innovative use of technology. USAID is increasingly integratingtechnological innovations into its DRG portfolio toenable democratic progress by leveraging mobile technologies,social networks and youth engagement. The explosive growthof information technology has democratized communication.These new information communication technologies canpresent new challenges to democracy as some governmentsmonitor and control access to the Internet, but they alsopresent powerful new opportunities for citizens to participatein public policy decisions and hold their governments accountable.Drawing upon these innovations and an increasing globaldemand for transparency and accountability, the United Statesand more than 50 bilateral partners have signed on to theOpen Government Partnership (OGP) to promote transparency,empower citizens, increase access to technology, fightcorruption and strengthen governance. Inspired by the OGP,USAID has launched the Grand Challenge for Development4