Istanbul Declaration
The first semester of 2025 changed radically the global landscape. The political shift in the United States following the presidential elections has already a tangible impact on the multilateral system of the last decades, creating a big debate over the best way to move forward and adapt the world to a new era that includes big societal changes brought by the rapid advances of science and technology.
It becomes more and more evident that in our globalized world the 1% of the most wealthy as well as the big tech are expanding their power challenging the limits of our democratic safeguards. Furthermore, beyond borders, odd alliances are being set up with the participation of extreme right or a-political parties and politicians. This is a wakeup call that brings also an opportunity for our political family as the ideological differences are stunning, leaving behind the narrative that nowadays there is no difference between right and left. In this transitional and fluctuating phase, the multilateral system faces enormous pressure affecting three essential aspirations related to the progress of the nations: democracy, peace and development.
In this context the Socialist International member parties participating in the Istanbul Council underline the following:
1. To create inclusive societies, we must defend democracy
Part of the strategy of extreme right and a- political parties is to undermine the idea of democracy. From stressing that it is not an efficient system, to reducing it to ballots or tweets or even sometimes refusing to recognize the results of democratic elections. One such last attempt is the politically motivated arrest of the Presidential Candidate of our member party CHP, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, also the elected mayor of city of Istanbul which gives it’s name to this declaration. In all continents we notice a backlash with an increase of authoritarian practices , persecution of political opponents, use of law fare, limitation of freedom of expression, contempt of constitutional provisions, violation of basic human rights. This trend goes together with a non-acceptance of labor rights and a regression in women’s rights. It results in bad governance, corruption and increasing inequality.
Democracy cannot exist without checks and balances that prevent the unconstrained exercise of power, the possibility of one institution, one party, one individual to exercise total control. A democratic government can be called so only if it gives legitimate space to the opposition. Checks are the mechanisms allowing political institutions to limit one another’s power. Balances ensure that a wide variety of views and interests are represented in the democratic process.
Democratic backsliding is a very dangerous process that we are committed to fight against. Ethical principles are of paramount importance in the exercise of power. Business and politics must be clearly separated. Political opponents cannot be persecuted, arrested without serious causes and jailed indefinitely without proofs of guilt. Media and social networks cannot be used for misinformation. Moreover, countries in democratic transition cannot dissolve political parties, substitute political dialogue by « pseudo civil society assemblies » and deny the right of a different opinion.
The societies we progressives are fighting for are diverse, inclusive and human centered. We want all citizens to enjoy the right to decent work. education, health, clean environment, safety, shared quality of life but also freedom of expression, media literacy, respect of all rights.
2. To build peace we must show solidarity in practice
According to existing data, conflicts surged around the world in the last year. In 2024 political violence increased by 25% globally in comparison to 2023 with one in eight people exposed to conflict.
From Gaza to Ukraine, there is a huge increase of fatalities and the UN estimates that 305 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. The continuous violence in Africa - DR Congo, Sudan, Mali, the extreme tension between India and Pakistan, the situation in Myanmar add to this very bleak picture.
For us fighting for peace is more than a moral duty, it’s an existential necessity. The existing situation shows a collective failure undermining an international order based on principles and rules that seemed inviolable such as respect of sovereignty, political interdependence and territorial integrity of countries. Lasting peace cannot be built without respect of the people, solidarity in practice and knowledge of history.
Investing in weapons is not the most efficient way to guarantee global security and without binding and respected international treaties on arms control we risk entering a race towards mutual destruction. As easy it is to destroy, much more difficult is to reconstruct. In the meantime, the flow of refugees is augmenting, displaced people remain homeless, cultural heritage is erased from the map.
The meta- world we live in creates new vulnerabilities requiring a total different perception of security. The advance of technology creates new, unregulated lethal weapons. Hybrid and terrorist attacks threaten human security. We commit to include these issues in our future agenda with proposals for a modernization of existing treaties.
Investing in peace, may be long and difficult but it is the only way forward and our organization has historically contributed in this endeavor in all continents. We will continue in a systematic way to raise our voice for all the anonymous victims as for us every human life has the same value.
3. Supporting SDG’s, avoiding a global development crisis
The COVID 19 pandemic highlighted the problem of global inequality and following a period of economic volatility and caused reversals in development. Emerging countries are struggling on the issue of debt as burdens become unsustainable. There is a need to reform and update international financial institutions and the multilateral development banks. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development that will take place in June 2025 is an opportunity to reach a consensus on specific measures that can mobilize all resources and policies for promoting sustainable development.
In times when the international far right puts into question key global issues like climate change, health cooperation, international development priorities, as Socialist International we stand in support to the agreements and efforts of the United Nations, and we will continue our contribution to the implementation of the Global Development Goals.
We believe in the necessity to keep on the efforts for mitigating climate change as determined by the Paris agreement as a duty to the generations to come.
The US withdrawal from many multilateral agreements, as well as from the SDG’s should be reversed, as it can put the world in a poly crisis and disrupt efforts that have already produced many achievements in reducing poverty, save lives and limit epidemics, respond to man made hazards, improve literacy and protect the rights of women and girls.
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