September 2026: Publication Recommendations on Democracy, Information Integrity, Rule of Law and Civic Participation

This article offers a selection of recent publications from TED members and partner organisations, covering democracy support, rule of law and anti-corruption, civic space and political participation, as well as media resilience and information integrity. For a quick overview, an attached list brings together all publications featured in this article and groups them by thematic area.

Several recent publications take a broader look at the changing environment for international democracy support. Carnegie’s Post-U.S. International Democracy Support: Aspiration in Search of Substance takes stock of how the field has evolved following the sharp reduction in U.S. democracy assistance and diplomatic engagement. It examines responses from established democracy supporters, emerging actors and new forms of international cooperation, while arguing that efforts to rethink democracy support have yet to develop the scale or direction needed to compensate for the shift in U.S. policy. IDOS’s Speed Must Not Be a Substitute for Democracy looks at a more specific dimension of this debate, arguing that efforts to accelerate EU enlargement in the Western Balkans should not come at the expense of democracy and rule of law standards.

ECDPM’s Annual Report 2025 provides another perspective on the broader context for international cooperation, reflecting on a year shaped by geopolitical fragmentation, debates over international financing and climate, and the evolving Africa-Europe partnership. A separate ECDPM paper, Lessons from EU Member States’ Team National, examines how Member States are developing national coordination mechanisms linked to the Global Gateway. Drawing on emerging experience, it identifies lessons for coordinating public institutions, engaging the private sector and connecting national priorities with EU investment objectives.

The relationship between investment and democratic governance is also at the centre of the European Democracy Hub’s The EU’s Global Gateway Needs Democracy to Work. The article argues that civil society, independent media, rule of law, transparency and accountability should be more systematically integrated into Global Gateway investments rather than treated as separate elements of EU external action.

Rule of law and anti-corruption feature prominently in several other publications. The World Justice Project’s Risk & Resilience: Why the Rule of Law Matters for Business examines institutional risk from a business perspective, looking at how legal certainty, regulatory predictability, judicial effectiveness and government accountability influence investment decisions, supply chains and long-term competitiveness. It makes the case for more direct use of rule of law data in corporate risk assessment and strategic decision-making.

FIDH and Transparency International’s Breaking the Silos: A Practical Guide to Fighting Corruption with a Human Rights-Based Approach brings together two fields that have often operated separately. The guide offers practical tools for human rights defenders and anti-corruption practitioners to document the human rights consequences of corruption, pursue accountability and redress, and place affected people more firmly at the centre of legal and advocacy strategies.

Two annual reports provide further insights into justice and accountability work in practice. IDLO’s Annual Report 2025 highlights work on strengthening institutions, expanding access to justice and advancing people-centred justice, particularly in contexts affected by conflict and fragility. UpRights’ 2025 Annual Report takes stock of its work on accountability for human rights violations and international crimes, transitional justice and institutional reform, corporate accountability, and support to civil society.

Three new resources from the Open Government Partnership look at how greater transparency can translate into concrete accountability mechanisms. Ending Anonymous Ownership reviews progress made on beneficial ownership transparency, including public registers, legislation and civil society participation. Uncovering Spending in Public Contracts examines the expansion of open contracting and the use of procurement data to increase public oversight and reduce corruption risks. Opening Public Budgets looks at progress in fiscal transparency and opportunities for meaningful public participation in budget processes. Together, the three resources draw on 15 years of OGP experience with open government reforms.

Recent publications also focus on the wider conditions needed for democratic participation and civic space. The Danish Institute for Human Rights’ Holding the Line: Human Rights in a Changing World reflects on its work with institutions and civil society across more than 20 countries in 2025, including efforts to improve access to justice and protect human rights defenders, while also considering human rights dimensions of climate action, responsible business, migration and digital technologies.

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Opposition and Resilience Strategies against Democratic Backsliding provides a practical framework for understanding and responding to democratic erosion. Drawing on comparative research and cases from Poland, Moldova, Serbia and Türkiye, the publication examines the role of polarisation, strategies for building broad democratic coalitions and cooperation between political parties and civil society, as well as approaches to rebuilding institutions after periods of democratic backsliding.

Women’s political participation is the focus of ENoP and Hanns Seidel Stiftung’s Advancing Women’s Political Participation and Empowerment in Africa. Bringing together perspectives from Kenya, Madagascar and West Africa, the publication explores how structural inequalities, informal power structures, social norms and political gatekeeping continue to affect women’s participation and leadership, while highlighting the importance of locally rooted approaches to political empowerment.

The Open Government Partnership adds two practical resources on civic space. Its Open Gov Guide: Civic Space brings together evidence, standards and reform guidance on freedom of association, assembly, expression and media freedom. The new Civic Space Lab complements this with an initiative aimed at supporting government reformers to strengthen civic space through technical assistance, peer exchange and collaboration.

The final group of publications turns to information integrity and the sustainability of independent media. Carnegie Europe’s Assessing Information Ecosystems: How Governments Can Get Ahead of Hybrid Threats argues for moving beyond fragmented responses to individual hybrid threats and instead examining the wider information ecosystems in which cyber threats, disinformation, infrastructure vulnerabilities and other forms of interference interact. The paper proposes a more coordinated approach centred on mapping dependencies, identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening resilience across institutions and society.

At the same time, several publications examine the increasingly difficult financial environment for independent media. Free Press Unlimited’s The “Authoritarian Utopia”: The Impact of Funding Cuts on Independent Media documents the effects of recent reductions in international media support on independent outlets and warns of the wider consequences when funding gaps weaken independent journalism. International Media Support’s Sustaining Independent Media in Times of Turmoil: Annual Impact Report 2026 looks at practical approaches adopted by media organisations and partners to build resilience, including diversified financing, collaboration against disinformation and stronger institutional safeguards.

A second IMS publication, Defending Democracy with Pluralistic Local Journalism, focuses specifically on local and public-interest media in Europe. Drawing on experience from the Pluralistic Media for Democracy programme, it argues that long-term media resilience requires more than short-term grants, combining financial support with audience development, organisational capacity, innovation and stronger relationships with the communities media serve.

Finally, The Value of Journalism: Global Evidence on Why Media Matters to Economics, National Security and Crises, produced by IFPIM, DW Akademie and UNESCO, brings together evidence on the wider contribution of independent journalism. Beyond its democratic role, the publication examines links between journalism and economic performance, corruption prevention, public services, resilience to disinformation, national security and responses to crises, adding another perspective to current discussions on why sustainable investment in independent media matters.