The OAS Interamerican Democratic Charter at 25th: past, present and the future

In September 2026, the Americas commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter (IADC), adopted unanimously by the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Lima, Peru, on September 11, 2001. The Charter established a historic hemispheric commitment by affirming that “the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy, and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” For the past quarter-century, the IDC has served as the region’s principal normative and political instrument for the collective defense, promotion, and preservation of representative democracy. It has shaped diplomatic responses to democratic breakdowns, electoral crises, institutional erosion, and unconstitutional alterations of the constitutional order throughout the hemisphere. At a time when democracy faces renewed challenges, including authoritarian populism, democratic backsliding, electoral manipulation, disinformation, transnational corruption, organized crime, institutional fragility, lawfare, and declining citizen trust, the IADC's 25th anniversary offers a critical opportunity to assess its historical relevance, practical effectiveness, and future role. Twenty-five years after its adoption, the IADC remains one of the world's most ambitious regional commitments to the defense of democracy. However, evolving threats demand institutional adaptation and strategic innovation. This call invites academics, public policy officials, diplomats, professionals, and civil society leaders to contribute original analyses on the evolution, achievements, limitations, and prospects for reform of the IADC as an instrument to protect democracy against its contemporary enemies