World Forum for Democracy Discusses Progress in Arab Spring Countries

International leaders and activists, including United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, addressed the challenges facing post-Arab Spring democracies today at the opening of the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, France.

The first edition of the World Forum for Democracy, an initiative of the Council of Europe, aims to promote democracy around the world while confronting the obstacles in its path.

“The reality of 2012 is different from the hopes of 2011,” Thorbjørn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said in his opening speech. ”Youngsters are frustrated about how slow the changes are (…) We are here to help expand democracy and suggest solutions.”

During his keynote address, Ban condemned the violence in Syria while expressing admiration for the youth of the Arab Spring nations.

Jagland said the Arab youth, including Yemeni activist and Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman—a keynote speaker at the opening of the forum—represent the emerging voices of freedom.

In his opening speech, Jagland noted the difficulties many democracies face today, including corruption, social injustice, and extremism.

“Nobody can claim democracy is perfect (…) It is rather incomplete,” he said.

Religious extremism of all kinds is a threat to newborn democracies, he added.

“There is no Islamic terrorism. There is just terrorism,” he said.

Karman concluded the opening of the forum by calling upon the U.N. and international human rights organizations to more readily intervene in cases of human rights violation.

Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki and French President François Hollande were both invited to be keynote speakers; however, neither statesman attended the event.