Biden Announces ‘Summit for Democracy’ to Be Held in December

When US President Joe Biden was a candidate, he pleaded for the return of cooperation with Western allies, with whom, according to some, Trump had parted ways while conducting an 'America First' policy that led to the US withdrawal from a number of crucial international treaties seen by the Trump administration as unfavorable.

US President Joe Biden will organize a virtual summit of “leaders from a diverse group of the world’s democracies” in December this year, with another meeting a year later in a full-time format, the White House announced in a Wednesday statement. The event is said to be an attempt to unite "democratic" governments against the growing influence of "authoritarian" states.

According to the statement, the summit, scheduled for 9-10 December, will bring together "heads of state, civil society, philanthropy, and the private sector". The next summit will be summoned to assess the progress achieved following the December 2021 meeting.

Among the main priorities of the December forum will be "defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights".

Details regarding the participants have not yet been revealed, as well as the specific criteria for countries to be invited, but the planned conference is estimated by some in the media to be an alternative for the G20 summits that bring together countries regardless of their forms of government.

An anonymous source told the Washington Post that the invitation list is “depending in part on which nations appear receptive", while the overall goal was to get together a variety of both established and “emerging” democracies.

“We’re not trying to define who’s a democracy and who isn’t,” the official said. “What we are really looking for as we engage in this outreach is some kind of will and ability to deliver on meaningful commitments to reinforce democracy and rights.”

Holding a "summit of democracies" reportedly was one of Biden's campaign promises. He accused his predecessor, Donald Trump, of undermining US ties with its allies during the latter's term - an accusation that some observers connect to the America First policy of the former president. The Trump administration prioritized US national interests over the equivalent interests of other countries, while pointing to an imbalance in American participation in Western initiatives.