Topic: 2025 – Authoritarianism and Democracy
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Joseph Cox
Country: South Africa
Delegate: Joseph Cox
School: Williamston High School
Committee: SPECPOL
Topic: Authoritarianism and Democracy
The Republic of South Africa views the recent rise in authoritarian sentiment to be extremely concerning and recognizes how it threatens those all across the world. The worrying trend of global citizens growing increasingly positive to the idea of a strong authoritarian leader is a direct threat to liberty, equality, and law. Authoritarianism fosters global instability, dysfunction, economic crises, and human rights abuses. As governments become more authoritarian the threat of a global crisis such as war or a severe economic depression rises making the world a more unsafe place. Democratic countries are becoming increasingly closer to authoritarianism because of the shift in viewpoint from the global populace. The crisis is directly linked to increasing globalization, inequality, and a stagnating world. Authoritarian leaders offer a new viewpoint to citizens and claim to be able to solve their problems. People becoming increasingly cynical and disillusioned with the state of global politics will be more willing to look for the kind of strong powerful leader that authoritarians claim to be. South Africa asserts that to protect global democracy an international collaborative effort to strengthen democratic institutions and promote equality and education is needed.
Based on the V-Dem Regimes of the World classification the Republic of South Africa is categorically assigned as an electoral democracy. Practicing free and fair multiparty elections and holding a strong attitude towards the protection of individual rights the Republic of South Africa is an electoral democracy ideologically aligned with the highest standard of a liberal democracy. Coming out of the unstable apartheid era South Africa has seen what instability and uncertainty can do to a populous and how fragile democracy can get. Being one of the strongest democracies in Africa the Republic of South Africa knows what it takes to foster a growing democracy and how to fend off the seeds of authoritarianism.
The Republic of South Africa believes that the solution to the authoritarianism issue should be rooted in attacking the roots of an issue. For many countries authoritarian governments are their way of life and they have rarely seen anything else. It would be impossible and illegal to require member states to reach certain democracy goals. To solve this issue it is the global citizens who need to change first. The press is one of the first things authoritarian leaders attack because it is one of the greatest resources against authoritarianism. A solution focused on increasing the freedom of the press globally would help educate global civilians on corruption and educate them on their own governments. The increase of transparency that a freer global press would bring would make authoritarianism less attractive to people. Issues in inequalities in education and economics would also skew people away from the idea of authoritarianism. A more stable, equal populace would be much less likely to advocate for authoritarian forms of government.
https://v-dem.net/
https://www.undp.org/future-development/signals-spotlight-2023/when-democracies-autocratise
https://www.idea.int/
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2422543121
