Australia Advised to Offer More Democracy Support in Pacific: Report

A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft prepares to land at Honiara International Airport in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands, on Nov. 30, 2021. (CPL Brandon Grey/Australian Department of Defense via Getty Images)

An international watchdog has advised Australia to support the growth and sustainability of democratic policies in the Asia-Pacific region as the state of the world’s democracies continue to “backslide,” a report has found.

In its annual report, the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) said democratic institutions, including longstanding democracies, were being undermined by issues ranging from restrictions on freedom of expression, declines in checks on governments, rule of law and on civil liberties.

It found that while only 54 percent of the regional population lives in a democracy, 85 percent of those live in a democracy that is “weak or backsliding.”

It also found that nearly half of people in the region live in an authoritarian regime, of which 72 percent live in communist China—a country known for its human rights abuses.

“Even high- and mid-performing democracies, such as Australia, Japan and Taiwan are suffering democratic erosion,” the report states.

Several factors were found that have led to the erosion of democracy, such as: the rise of exclusionary ethno-nationalist movements fuelled by a mix of real and politically manipulated social grievances, armed and unarmed interventions by the military in political processes, executive aggrandisement, stalled democratic transitions and economic mismanagement that has led to unsustainable debts and, in extreme cases, financial collapse.

However, the report found that Oceania, which includes Australia, continues to stand out for its strong democratic performance, despite declines in certain attributes, largely due to expanded pandemic-related restrictions that curb the region’s overall performance.

“Overall, the region has witnessed a slight drop in its Impartial Administration score; New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have experienced one-year declines in Predictable Enforcement, in the latter case accompanied by a significant and concerning drop in the Absence of Corruption,” the report states.

The report also noted that three out of seven backsliding democracies are in the Americas, pointing to weakening institutions even in longstanding democracies.

A third of democracies in that region have experienced declines, including Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador and Guatemala.

IDEA’s Asia-Pacific director Leena Rikkila Tamang said in a joint committee inquiry that Australia had a role to play in countering the “backslides.”

“Australia should give more prominence to democracy support in the region. One can support this argument several ways, but a more democratic region is obviously better placed to prevent and respond to security threats, achieve economic prosperity while also addressing inequalities and meet people’s human rights and moral aspirations,” Tamang said.

“We know that democracies around the world are declining or stagnating.

“There are several factors—one is the fact democratic regimes have not convincingly or consistently made the case that they can deliver what people demand.”

Thriving Democracy in Asia-Pacific is in Australia’s Interests

In an op-ed published by the Lowy Institute, Secretary-General of International IDEA Kevin Casas-Zamora said that Australia should “stand up, take note, and develop an explicit pro-democracy policy that shores up the position of democracy defenders and critical institutions that support rules-based order.”

“The emergence and consolidation of thriving democracies in the Asia-Pacific Region is certainly in Australia’s long-term interest,” he wrote.

“This is about supporting democracy in the region, not lecturing other countries.”

He added that the Asia-Pacific region is vibrant and diverse while home to some of the world’s most populous democracies, such as India.

However, some measures charted in the report, including Checks on Government and Fundamental Rights, which encompasses freedom of expression, have shown signs of decline in India, Casas-Zamora said.

Indonesia has also shown signs of decline where multiple indicators, including Access to Justice and Social Rights and Equality, show an overall negative trend.

“Australia needs a clear strategy to meaningfully support Indonesia on democracy as well, including renewing support for Indonesian civil society and anti-corruption efforts. This is particularly salient as the country heads into the 2024 presidential election,” he wrote.

“It is crucial that Indonesia and India, two of Australia’s key allies, go from democratic strength to strength, as do other democracies in the region.”

Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, has requested the “Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee” to inquire into matters related to supporting democracy in the region.

The inquiry will look into how Australia can partner with countries in the region to promote democracy and the international rules-based order.

Additionally, the Albanese government has invested $609.2 million in the Pacific regional development program for the 2022-23 financial year.

“Australia’s response to COVID-19 in the Pacific is at the forefront of our focus on strengthening engagement in the Pacific, one of Australia’s highest foreign policy priorities. It has strengthened our co-operation in helping to grow economies, build resilience, and enhance regional stability,” according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“The Pacific Regional Program adds value where it is more efficient and effective to work through regional approaches and complements our Pacific bilateral programs in support of a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific.”