Recognizing September 15, 2014, as the International Day of Democracy, affirming the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy, and encouraging all governments to stand with civil society in the face of mounting restrictions on civil society organizations.

supports the goals and ideals of the International Day of Democracy;

recognizes the importance of civil society to the healthy development of nations;

celebrates the invaluable contributions civil society has made to the creation, strength, and preservation of vibrant democracies and democratic institutions;

reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the protection, advancement, health, and sustainability of democracy throughout the world;

condemns the use of restrictions, coercion, threats, or force to impede the activities of civil society organizations;

recognizes the important multilateral work of the Community of Democracies, the “Lifeline: Embattled Civil Society Organizations Fund”, the Open Government Partnership, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association to protect global civil society;

recognizes the important role diplomacy plays in defending global civil society and creating new openings for civic space;

emphasizes the value of programs of the United States Government in protecting civil society and defending civic space, including the work by the Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the United States Department of State, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID);

calls on private sector partners and other governments to develop new tools and leverage existing technologies to support the efforts of civil society; and

encourages the people of the United States and the world to observe the International Day of Democracy, September 15, 2014, with appropriate programs and activities.