We live in an interdependent world and we strongly believe that politics today, and the challenges we all face, are global, and that therefore global responses must be found.

This is the main reason why, at the beginning of 2005, various leaders from the European Democratic Party and the US Democratic Party decided to promote the Alliance of Democrats, an international network of liberal democratic, centrist and progressive political parties from all five continents.

From 2005 to 2008 the “Alliance of Democrats”, which now includes over 60 political parties, promoted several meetings and international conferences for strengthening the political dialogue between like-minded democratic political parties with the ambition to build a common “Global Agenda”.

The founding event was the meeting “Rebuilding Transatlantic Relations: a dialogue between US and EU Democrats” held in Rome on February 24^th -25^th 2005

A closed-doors seminar on the “Dialogue between US and European Democrats” took place with the attendance of the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition of the US Democratic Party at the US Congress, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, together with other member of US Democratic think tanks, including Will Marshall, Sidney Blumenthal, Anthony Blinken and Michael McFaul.

Then, on February 25^th a Round Table on “How to rebuild Transatlantic Relations: a European perspective”, was held in the Italian Parliament’s and attended by François Bayrou, Francesco Rutelli, Bronislaw Geremek and Graham Watson. A speech by Romano Prodi, former President of the European Commission and EDP Honorary President closed the event.

The conference participants agreed on the need for a stronger and more structured relationship between the EU democratic parties and the US Democratic Party, in order to strengthen the transatlantic political and economic relations.

In light of this, the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, and the Co-Presidents of the European Democratic Party, Francesco Rutelli and François Bayrou, signed a common document, a Manifesto on EU-US Relations calling for closer links between democratic parties on the two sides of the Atlantic, and agreed to establish the “Alliance of Democrats”, a network of democratic parties with a permanent secretariat and staff and a common political agenda. The undersigned document stated:

“We are deeply convinced that the United States and Europe should actively pursue a renewed strategic partnership capable of exercising shared responsibilities and of asserting their own values and own economic, political and security power towards improved world governance.

A stronger, more cohesive and integrated Europe is neither an alternative nor much less an adversary to the United States, but represents an opportunity to jointly meet the challenges of globalization, security and the fight against terrorism, and the promotion of democracy, human rights, and the environment.”

Following its engagement to continue building closer relationships with other like-minded Parties and Organisations around the world, and especially to establish sound links with Asian Democrats, the Alliance of Democrats promoted a conference on “A New Europe/Asia strategic partnership: the future is now. A dialogue between Asian and European Democrats” on December 1^st -2^nd 2005.

The Conference took place in Rome, with the participation of many Asian political leaders representing major political parties such as the Indian Congress Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, the Democratic Party of Thailand, the Liberal Party of the Philippines and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.

On December 1^st a closed-doors Seminar, bringing together politicians and experts, focused on issues such as economic integration between the two continents, international security, energy, multilateral cooperation, and global democracy. The seminar helped set up a common political agenda and a permanent network between Asia and European Democrats.

On December 2^nd a public Conference hosted inside the Italian Parliament highlighted the results of the previous day and discussed the Asia/Europe strategic partnership together with many European and Asian officials.

Promoting sustainable development and human globalisation, increasing international security while fighting terrorism and promoting human rights and democracy were the core issues of the discussions. Participants committed themselves to strengthening political dialogue, increasing cooperation and integration between Europe and Asia, and acting in favour of a closer partnership and integration between the European and Asian economies.

The Co-Chairs of the Alliance of Democrats Rep. Ellen Tauscher, Francesco Rutelli and François Bayrou signed with the Asian representatives a common Declaration and endorsed the enlargement of the “Alliance of Democrats” to the new Asian members. The main issues include: strengthening political dialogue, increasing cooperation and integration between Europe and Asia, supporting a closer partnership and integration between the European and Asian economies, promoting a partnership for sustainable development and humane globalisation, pursuing international security, fighting terrorism and shouldering the Crisis Areas (Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, Iran, Korea, Cambodia and Burma), and finally, promoting democracy and human rights.

On February 21^st 2006 a meeting took place at the European Parliament in Brussels to announce the creation of the Alliance of Democrats as a network between the EDP and the US Democratic Party, enlarged to like-minded Asian parties with the objective of the establishment of a world-wide democratic Alliance.

On April 20-22^nd 2007, during the 2^nd National Congress of Democrazia è Libertà - La Margherita in Rome, an international event: “Towards a New Alliance of Democrats” was organised in order to foster dialogue between many democratic leaders and political parties from different countries of the world.

Democrats around the world exchanged ideas on numerous issues such as global security, multilateralism, climate change, welfare reform and energy, with undisputable success.

The democratic leaders undersigned a common Declaration in the consciousness of the need for global responses to face mounting challenges: a Global Agenda, based on fundamental democratic values, to confront global threats and global issues.

“We think that a new Alliance of Democrats is necessary, an Alliance that is capable of acting and providing answers in an increasingly interdependent and globalised world, on which the momentous events of November 9 and September 11, and the birth of new economic and military powers, have impressed an everlasting mark.

After the Berlin Wall (1989), the Twin Towers (2001), and the growth of India and China, the paradigms that had been used to read and understand the events of the planet for the last two centuries have now become ineffectual, and often also the old families that have led European and worldwide politics are rooted in the divisions of over a century ago and run the risk of being ineffective.

We think now is the time to strengthen the relationship between all the like-minded political parties that have gathered here today, by drawing up a common Global Plan of Action, focusing on some of the most important threats that we are facing.”

The major worldwide emergencies include climate change, international security and the fight against terror, with a special focus the Millennium Development Goals and the risk of another genocide in the Darfur region.

A permanent secretariat for consultation and debate among the political forces and groups that have signed the document has been set up.

During the course of these three Conferences, the Alliance began to establish a Common Agenda for democratic leaders and political parties from different countries around the world.

We would now like to continue on this path by promoting new initiatives and relationships with many of the most effective and important democratic entities on the planet, from the Americas to Africa and Asia, with the goal of further enhancing the “Alliance of Democrats” as a flexible and permanent network of political dialogue and common initiatives between leaders and political parties around the world.

This was the main goal of the last International Conference “A New Global Agenda for Democrats” that was held in Rome on June 20^th , 21^st 22^nd , 2008.

This publication gathers the records of the first two days and the attendance of many leaders from all the continents to the meeting.

The three panels (on New Ideas on Global Development and Environment, New Ideas on Global Security and New Ideas on Democracy and Human Rights) helped trace an initial outline of a New Global Agenda for Democrats based on these three priorities of the International agenda.

The third day was dedicated to the organizational dimension of the Alliance of Democrats and the following decisions were taken: integrating the Global Agenda with Regional Plans of Action that will be worked out by the members parties; setting up an Executive Committee made up of a representative from each member party that will gather once a year between April and May in the five continents in rotation; holding an annual thematic Meeting of the Alliance of Democrats each October in Rome.

The three Co-Chairs, Francois Bayrou, Francesco Rutelli and Ellen Tauscher were confirmed and they will be integrated with a member from each area at the next Meeting of the Executive Committee.

Gianni Vernetti, Italian MP and former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, was appointed Coordinator of the Alliance of Democrats.