Changing the International System: Democratic Backsliding and Autocratic Control of the United Nations View Digital Media

Focused Discussion
Erin Oppel  

In its 2020 report, Freedom House stated that 2020 marked the 15th consecutive year that freedom and democracy declined globally, with the effects felt by almost 75% of the world’s populations, in both authoritarian regimes and democracies. Yet, instead of playing a leading role in stemming the tide of authoritarianism during this period, the United Nations has often stood to the side, failing to call out gross human rights abuses and illiberal policies. As the organs of the UN have remained largely silent on these issues, open UN seats and positions are increasingly being filled by authoritarian countries, and strong democracies that used to hold key positions within the UN are beginning to turn inward, grappling with ultranationalism and rejecting international organizations. As the linchpin of the liberal international order, the UN is designed to secure the integrity of international norms and laws. If autocratic countries increase their power in the political systems designed to hold them accountable, they could use these very systems to violate the spirit, laws, and norms held up by the United Nations, prohibiting the ability of the UN to secure a rules-based international order. Using UN elections data, Freedom House and V-Dem democracy scores, and outcomes of UN bodies, this study asks the question: amidst global democratic backsliding, how have authoritarian regimes utilized UN elections to monopolize and shape the agendas of UN bodies, defend their systems of governance, create an enabling environment for their actions, and contribute to the global rise of democratic backsliding?