The end of 2019 marked the 14th consecutive year of decline in global freedom, but also a wave of popular movements from Iraq to Hong Kong to Venezuela demanding accountable government and rule of law.
Against this backdrop, the United States and China have vied in increasingly confrontational ways for leadership of an emerging global order. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has further sharpened the potential stakes of this competition for both defenders of democracy and aspiring autocrats.
As tensions in the US-China relationship continue to escalate, the question of values and the role they play in foreign policy has been brought back onto the global stage. Will democracy itself play a more central role in US post-crisis foreign policy? Will there be a fundamental shift in strategy if a Democratic administration takes office following November’s elections, or if President Trump secures reelection? And what does this mean for the US relationship with Europe?
Dr Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute, and Ambassador Victoria Nuland, Former US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, discuss the future role of democracy and human rights in America’s foreign policy.
Participants
Dr Daniel Twining, President, International Republican Institute
Ambassador Victoria Nuland, Senior Counselor, Albright Stonebridge Group; US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, 2013 – 17
Dr Robin Niblett, Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House
Chair: Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director, US and the Americas Programme, Chatham House
