By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel The year 2024 is termed as the “election year’ because the world’s half population is set to vote. Some countries including the largest democracy India have already concluded elections while polls in countries like the U.S.A. will be held towards the end of the year.  According to the Economist’s annual democracy index, less than 8% of the world’s population lived in so-called ‘full democracy’ in 2023 while almost 40% fell under the category of ‘authoritarian regimes’. What is even worse is the fact that the number of authoritarian has risen steadily over the past few years while democracies recorded their lowest level since the global survey began in 2006. This is an alarming statistic calling for global attention. In many countries, democratically elected leaders have morphed into autocratic leaders backed by the two third power equation. They have developed an anxiety to centralize authority sidelining the dissent voices within the party showing little regard to collaborative governance. They project themselves as the sole architect of national progress. What is even worrisome is the fact that they undermine the democratic norms, values, ethos, institutions and practices they developed and nurtured. Media and civil society are the cornerstones of democracy. They act as a watch-dog cautioning the ruling government and politicians to work in line with the true spirit of democracy. To the most chagrin, these institutions are viewed as the biggest enemy by the government and political parties. The reason is not big. It is very simple: They are vocal critics of the ruling government and politicians. This reminds me of the saying of famous media scholar, Erich de la Fuente, “Not only in authoritarian states, the democratic government use subtle instruments to put pressure on media and civil society”. Along with these, the other emerging concern among the pro- democracy groups and experts is the role of personal wealth in election outcomes. It has been found that the candidates having the capability to blow the money during the run-up to the election have greater chances of winning the election. It also shows that wealthy candidates directly filter into competitive parties. But even among these wealthy candidates from competitive parties, the wealthiest candidate has a greater probability of winning the constituency. This means that those who are economically weak should not contest the election despite having untainted political background. The UN Human Rights Council has a special rapporteur in 46 thematic areas such as arbitrary arrests, persons with disabilities, the right to education, freedom of expression and the right of the indigenous people. But here lies the biggest irony. There is no special rapporteur for democratic election. The culture of impunity is equally responsible for eroding the people’s trust on democracy across the globe. While we are all equal in the eyes of the law, it does not seem that well-connected public officials are more easily able to avoid prosecution than the rest of us. When political position allows public officials to avoid being liable for their actions, there is a threat to democracy.  In plain words, it creates incentives for corruption because those who are considering putting their fingers in the cookie jar are more likely to do so if they believe that they will not be held accountable even if they are caught. In the context of worrying trends of democratic decline in all the regions of the world, pro-democracy groups and experts are advocating for the need for the UN special rapporteur. They aver that the establishment of UN special rapporteur will safeguard and defend the trend of decline in democracy. Moreover, they will be tasked with the responsibilities to investigate the situation of democracy all over the world. Their voice has been gaining momentum ever since the start of 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The Fredrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) is the first German political foundation to join the call for the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy. The campaign was launched at the end of last year by the non-governmental organization,  Democracy without Borders, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A statement calling on the United Nations to appoint was signed by more than 80 civil society organizations, think tanks, institutions as well as numerous individuals from across the world united by their commitment to human rights and democracy in November 2023. However, till June 2024, over 150 organizations and more than 400 individuals from all over the world have signed it. No doubt this marks the beginning of a new beginning. But we cannot remain idle in saying that we have already made a significant achievement. We still have a long way to go to ensure the formation of a UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy. A UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy would have the task of protecting and strengthening a free, rule-based social order. He or she would document concerning developments while raising public awareness of good examples. During their country visits, the UN rapporteur consults with experts and civil society. In addition, the UN’s Special Rapporteur will act independently of the government and help strengthen and protect democratic rights and institutions, revitalize democracy and promote improvements. Furthermore, the UN Special Rapporteur on Democracy can take the UN democracy promotion to a new level and help empower democracy advocates worldwide. Democracy is a human right and human rights depend on democracy. The UN can no longer look the other way while this right is being denied, undermined and weakened in many countries across the globe. A UN rapporteur on democracy is urgently needed, said Andreas Bummel, Executive Director of Democracy without Borders, a think tank based in Germany, which advocates democracy as a human right. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.