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"We must continually reaffirm that democratic government as an integral system is the only way for fulfilling the political and economic aspirations of our peoples and for realizing social justice, and that this system is the key to sustainable development."

-Abdul Karim Al-Eryani, Prime Minister of Yemen

-Kenneth Wollack, NDI President

-Zephirin Diabre, Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Program

-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan

As a result of this conference, we hope to establish mechanisms between our countries to continue the sharing of ideas and experiences....We also forward to working together in a variety of international fora to promote democratic principles and practices. We intend to support the efforts of other countries that are beginning the process of democratic transition."

-Excerpt from the Sana'a Declaration

So that democracy may achieve its aims we must link growth and development for peoples and their economic interests. Democracy without development will not overcome the great dangers which await us. And while we in our community are trying to strengthen the ties between democracy and development and coordination among all different countries and between all countries of the world, and to achieve this to work for the happiness and prosperity of mankind.
 

-His Excellency Ali Abdullah Saleh, President, Yemen

The sheer diversity of the 16 countries represented at the forum is a rebuttal to those who have claimed that democracy is somehow alien to the inheritors of Spanish patriarchy, or Confucian thought, or tribalism, or Muslim belief, or any other tradition. Rather the tradition of democracy has been enriched by contributions of many cultures. 
 

-Kenneth D. Wollack, President, NDI 

Some of you are making the transition from centrally planned economies towards more open market and societies. Others are recovering from conflict or are still immersed in it, but you share a commitment to political reform and the growing recognition that the will of the people is the well spring of progress. You understand that democracy is a condition for development, not its reward. You realize that democracy is crucial if we are to enjoy a peaceful, prosperous 21^st century. 
 

-Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, UN

But one of the things that struck me, when I looked at the subjects that we are going to be examining in this very intense meeting, and with such a wonderful group of participants is that democracy is really a process. And even mature democracies deal with the issues that are on the agenda in this conference. For example, we are looking at the challenge of balancing the tradeoffs between political and economic reform and some of the difficulties that often creates for governments in setting priorities. But even in mature democracies, governments often face the difficult challenge of doing things, of enacting policies which are unpopular, or in which the benefits are not immediate, and where in fact it is the strength of the democratic institutions that allows the governments to lead and to have the confidence in people to be patient and see what the results are. Issues of integrity, issues of accountability, questions of corruption never go away because governance is about power and democratic governments have to create the institutions and processes to protect the integrity of their government, but that is an ongoing process. 
 

-Right Honorable Kim Campbell, Canada

If you don't have a transparent and exclusive electoral process, if a lot of people don't vote because they're not permitted to vote, or they don't have the documents, or some people vote twice, you will undermine democracy because democracy is based on legitimacy. When you look at what your power is and your ability to execute social, economic, and political change, it's based on being elected by the people. Democratic governments are stronger than authoritarian governments because they have legitimacy, and that legitimacy is borne out of electoral processes.
 

-Honorable Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, Bolivia

All these changes had one thing in common -- transition to political and economic democracy. As we begin to address the question of managing the twin transitions the question that we need to ask is governance for what? Reform for what? The issue that needs to concern us is how best we can ensure protection of the rights of our citizens and how best we can make governance mechanisms more responsive to the needs and expectations of the people. Processes should then be tailored to meet the needs and demands of the people. 
 

-Honorable Hage Geingob, Prime Minister, Namibia

It was really a miracle when on 24^th of August in 1995, the Parliament of Georgia, by almost unanimous vote, passed the new constitution. This became the real framework of new national reconciliation; and this marked a new era for Georgia, which we count since that very date. I think that this constitutional process is actually the recipe for how we succeeded in stopping the chaos and anarchy, how we succeeded for bringing the common vision for all people in Georgia, how altogether we should build our future state. And the recipe was that the most brutal problems can be solved by the broadest public participation.
 

-Honorable Zurab Zhavnia, Speaker of Parliament, Georgia

We cannot conceive any valid and true democratic system or method without the involvement of countries and their respect for the international standards of human rights with what it entails for the additional effort on the social and economic levels, and initiatives to achieve economic welfare, and eradication of poverty and illiteracy. 
 

-Mohammed Galal Al Said, Morocco

Democracy is not the result that comes out of the blue and is stagnant. It is a growing mechanism that should defend itself and develop in order to prove itself. It will continue to be under the risk of many challenges such as freedom of the press or the non-existence of this freedom. It is indeed very important, this freedom, to uphold human rights and the rights of the native people. It is an entitlement; it is a right. We cannot just simply say that we have achieved an acceptable level of democracy.
 

-Delegate from Guatemala 

I think that everyone can be involved in democracy because democracy doesn't have to do with the university degree you have. My country has a population in which, unfortunately, more than 50 percent has not completed primary school, I mean, they are almost illiterate, and we are constructing a very strong democracy. 
 

-Johnny Nogales, Bolivia

On the economic front on the other hand it doesn't seem that the democratic option would be fully successful if we do not link political democracy with the notion of social justice in the context of economic reforms. We need to try and find some balance between market economy reforms and attention to the interest of the poorer classes of society. 
 

-Participant

The IMF and the World Bank talk about safety nets but a serious program for poverty alleviation is yet to come out from either of these institutions. What are we talking about when we talk about poverty alleviation, no liberalization program in countries like ours where more than 40% of the population is below the poverty line is elevated to succeed unless you have side by side poverty elevation program. 
 

-Pashupati Rana, Nepal

Because of that they would need that kind of commitment from the first world for democracy to really be rooted in this country. If that does not happen that means that government of emerging democracies will continue to introduce programs out of desperation. We have learned that some countries when committed a true process of reform that government becomes unpopular and as a result get voted out. Why does this happen? It is probably because people do not really understand the importance of these programs and also because people cannot live with the consequences of these programs as mentioned. If you look at the marginalized groups in speaking of reforming or the effects of under groups you will realize that women are mostly marginalized by these programs. The governments are caught up between the demands from the people and to be in line with outside developments in the first world and the institutes. 
 

- Speaker, Namibia

To get government that really works in the public interest is in my view the solution to economic problems in poverty in the long run. That is what democracy is all about. 
 

-Cheryl Gray, World Bank

A constitution agreed upon and acceptable to all the stakeholders and real or potential competitors and not just the rulers of the day or a temporary electoral majority. Consensus and not necessarily unanimity should be the name of the game. This constitution should include the entrenchment of basic and fundamental rights and freedoms including the holding of regular free and also fair democratic and peaceful transparent and overall acceptable elections. We need to make clear to our constituents that although democracy is a messy form and system of government, it is better than any other alternative and that there is no need for frustration to take to extra parliamentary or nonpeaceful political means to demand for change of progress. 
 

-Moses Katjiuongua, Namibia

We found that without the participation of all parties and the involvement of the people, the legislative assembly will become weaker and weaker and the nation will eventually lose confidence and trust in this assembly as a whole, and perhaps in democracy itself. 
 

-Dr. Abdulrahman Bafadel, Yemen