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Message by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the International Day of Democracy
联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯国际民主日致辞
15 September 2021
2021年9月15日
As the world struggles to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating consequences, we must learn from the lessons of the past 18 months to strengthen democratic resilience in the face of future crises. This means identifying and developing good governance practices in situations of emergency – whether public health, environmental or financial.
在全世界努力摆脱COVID-19疫情及其破坏性后果的此刻，我们必须吸取18个月来的经验教训，以增强民主制度应对未来危机的能力。这意味着要确定和发展在紧急情况下实现良政的做法，包括公共卫生、环境、财政等方面的做法。
It means addressing the egregious global injustices laid bare by the crisis, from pervasive gender inequalities and inadequate health systems to unequal access to vaccines, education, the internet and online services. Along with the profound human toll borne by those most deprived, these persistent historical inequalities are themselves threats to democracy.
这还意味着要解决全球在此次危机中暴露出的种种严重不公正现象，其中包括普遍存在的性别不平等、医疗体系的不足，还包括在获得疫苗、教育、互联网、在线服务等方面存在的不平等情况。除了最贫穷者承受巨大损害伤亡外，上述由来已久的不平等状况本身就是对民主制度的威胁。
Strengthening democracy also means embracing genuine participation in decision-making – including peaceful protests – giving a real voice to people and communities that have traditionally been excluded. The silencing of women, religious and ethnic minorities, indigenous communities, people with disabilities, human rights defenders and journalists is an impediment to creating healthy societies. Democracy simply cannot survive, let alone flourish, in the absence of civic space.
加强民主制度还意味着要让人们真正参与决策，包括能举行和平抗议，也包括让以往被排斥的人员和群体真正享有发言权。对妇女、宗教少数、少数民族、土著群体、残疾人、人权维护者、记者实施压制会妨碍我们创建健康的社会。离开了公民空间，民主制度就根本无法生存，更不用说蓬勃发展了。
Finally, safeguarding democracy means phasing out emergency powers and laws as the worst of the pandemic subsides. Some States and security sector institutions rely on emergency powers because they offer shortcuts. With time, such powers can seep into legal frameworks and become permanent, undermining the rule of law and consuming the fundamental freedoms and human rights that serve as a bedrock for democracy.
最后，保卫民主制度还意味着，随着疫情最严重阶段的结束，要逐步取消紧急权力、紧急法律。一些国家和安全部门机构之所以依赖紧急权力，是因为此种权力提供了捷径。随着时间的推移，此种权力可能渗透到法律框架中，成为永久性权力，从而破坏法治，削弱基本自由和人权这些民主制度的基石。
As I stressed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, every crisis poses a threat to democracy, because the rights of the people, in particular those most vulnerable, are all too quickly ignored. For this reason, protection of rights in times of crisis is a key element of my Call to Action for Human Rights.
如我在疫情最严重时所强调的那样，每一次危机都对民主制度构成威胁，因为人民的权利很快就会被忽视，最脆弱群体的权利尤其如此。因此，我的“人权行动呼吁”的一个要素便是在危机时期保护人民权利。
On this International Day of Democracy, as we look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, let us commit to a future in which we recognize human rights and the rule of law as fundamental to democracy. Let us commit to safeguarding the principles of equality, participation and solidarity, so that we can better weather the storm of future crises.
值此国际民主日，展望COVID-19疫情后时期，让我们致力于建设一个将人权与法治视为民主制度根基的未来。让我们致力于维护平等、参与、团结的原则，从而能够更好地经受住未来危机的风暴。
