Democracy, Right to, International Protection

International law increasingly addresses questions of political democracy. This entry in the Encyclopedia of Public International Law explores the doctrinal basis for the claim that an international "right" to democratic governance now exists. First, it explores the competing definitions of "democracy" evident in international legal practice. Second, it reviews the links between democratic principles and notions of regime legitimacy, which have underpinned efforts by a variety of international organizations to promote democratic institutions. These links also underlie the organizations' responses to interruptions of democratic government, which have included suspending the offending states from participation in treaty organs. The entry concludes that for a number of reasons a "right" to democratic governance must be seen as still emerging rather than fully secured