Celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Community of Democracies will be held in Cracow on July 2-July 4, 2010

The meeting organised jointly by Minister Radosław Sikorski and the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies was aimed to adopt an action plan for the international community in the field of support of democracy and to define the tasks of the Community of Democracies for the forthcoming years. Presentation of Polish experience of democratic transformation and promotion of Poland as a global leader in dissemination of democracy – „Solidarity at the global level”, provided added value of the meeting for the representatives of 108 states.

Over 700 participants of the Cracow meeting included activists, former heads of states and governments, MPs from all over the world, representatives of international organisations, NGOs, and of the world mass media. Participation has been confirmed by over 70 government delegations, including over 20 at the level of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Participants included e.g.: the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos, the Chairman of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Prime Ministers of Poland: Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, Leszek Balcerowicz.

The Cracow celebrations were not just an anniversary event; first and foremost they provided an opportunity for an in-depth discussion about the development of democratic system. The discussion panels put particular stress on contemporary challenges to democracy in the global context, such as the issues pertaining to economic transformations and impact of modern technologies on worldwide dissemination of democratic values.

Additionally, Professor Bronisław Geremek Prize was awarded for the second time.

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