TED Network's Second Annual Meeting: Uniting for Democracy's Future

On 13-14 June 2024, TED Secretariat hosted its Second Annual Network Meeting in Brussels, gathering over 150 participants. The event took place just a few days after the European Parliament elections and focused on global strategies for democracy support. Jutta Urpilainen opened the event with a virtual message highlighting that, despite democracy being under attack, "it is also true that brave men and women are fighting back. Together we can pave the way for a fairer, freer, and more democratic future."

Caroline Gennez, the Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy, echoed the commitment by highlighting civic engagement as one of the foremost priorities of Belgian development aid. Marie-Alexandra Kurth, TED’s Team Leader, elaborated on the initiative’s dedication to addressing democracy challenges through its three thematic working groups and in partner countries.

The first high-level panel focused on 'Fostering Civic Space in Partner Countries,' with insights from representatives of Denmark, France, Finland, and Belgium discussing effective support for civic spaces both online and offline. The following panel on 'Advancing Rule of Law and Combating Corruption' included representatives from Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and the EU, all advocating for rule of law and anti-corruption measures as essential parts of their development assistance.

Post-panel discussions allowed TED NGO representatives from each working group to reflect on the interplay between member state strategies and broader civil society goals.

Throughout the event, participants engaged in various discussions on democratic support, including a deep dive on elections assistance and electoral observation. Representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Austria, France, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) engaged in discussions with NGOs, academia, and civil society representatives. In the evening, a Network members’ fair took place where organisations presented their work and exchanged ideas in a more casual setting.

The second day served as an opportunity to assess the progress of TED Working Group 1 “Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption” and Working Group 2 “Political and Civic Participation”, which were established last year. WG 1 explored the Global Gateway 360° approach, with 30 participants—including representatives from Ireland, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden—endorsing the integration of Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law into sustainable investments as essential risk mitigation. Discussions in the Anti-corruption workstream translated these concepts into actionable examples, while the Rule of Law workstream examined "people-centred justice in practice" through case studies in Nigeria and Somalia. Meanwhile, WG2's working session reviewed the ECDPM report's key findings on supporting civic space, with panel insights from UNDP, Oxfam, and KIOS. The session also reflected on the 2024-2025 workplan of activities, emphasising the need to operationalise previous reports’ recommendations, deepen the understanding of local political life with a focus on including women and youth in local governance and economic development, and ensure ongoing democratic engagement of citizens and parliaments/political parties in-between election periods.

A notable aspect of the event was the first in-person meeting of Working Group 3 “Media and Digital,” which had been established in May. This group addresses crucial issues of information integrity, including disinformation and challenges to media independence, significantly affecting elections and democratic decision-making across various countries. The discussions focused on developing effective strategies to combat these concerning trends.

The event concluded with a panel summariaing key takeaways, underscoring the imperative to transition from theoretical discussions to tangible actions. The necessity to operationaliae the insights from various workstreams into practical applications in partner countries was highlighted as crucial for elevating TED's impact on the ground and leveraging the expertise within Member States and EU Delegations effectively.