Universal Declaration on the Illegality of Dictatorship
Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world,
Whereas Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that "the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government," expressed through genuine, periodic, and universal elections,
Whereas a dictatorship is any regime that seizes, exercises, or maintains power without the free, genuine, and ongoing consent of the governed, substituting force, coercion, or fraud for the popular will,
Whereas such regimes constitute a systematic violation of the social contract, denying the people their fundamental right to self-determination and abrogating their civil, political, economic, and social rights,
Whereas governance by decree, the suppression of dissent, the persecution of political opponents, the abolition of an independent judiciary, and the rule of a single person or party are hallmarks of tyranny and are inherently illegitimate,
Whereas dictatorships, by their nature, foment instability, corruption, and violence, both domestically and internationally, and therefore constitute a persistent and grave threat to global peace and security,
Now, Therefore,
This Declaration proclaims this UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON THE ILLEGALITY OF DICTATORSHIP as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive to ensure its universal and effective recognition and observance.
Article 1
The right to popular sovereignty is absolute and inalienable. All peoples possess the right to choose their form of government and to determine their own political destiny. All government authority is derived only from the explicit and continued consent of the governed.
Article 2
Any regime that is not founded upon the demonstrable will of the people, as expressed in regular, free, and fair elections, is illegitimate. Any government that seizes power by force, military coup, or unconstitutional means, or that unconstitutionally extends its term against the popular will, is a dictatorship.
Article 3
A dictatorship, by its definition and nature, is an illegal entity. It possesses no lawful authority, no sovereign immunity from accountability, and no legitimate standing in the community of nations.
Article 4
All laws, decrees, orders, and edicts issued by a dictatorial regime for the purpose of suppressing human rights, limiting fundamental freedoms, or entrenching its own power are null, void, and without legal or moral effect.
Article 5
No state or international body shall grant formal recognition to a dictatorial regime. Providing military, economic, or diplomatic support that enables such a regime to maintain its oppression of the people is a violation of this Declaration.
Article 6
All peoples living under a dictatorship retain their full and inalienable human rights. This includes the inherent right to non-violently resist tyranny, to demand democratic governance, and to seek and receive aid from the international community in their struggle for liberation.
Article 7
All members of a dictatorial regime, including its leaders, enablers, and agents, who participate in crimes against humanity, systemic corruption, or the violent suppression of the people, shall be held individually accountable before national and international law. There shall be no statute of limitations for the crime of establishing or maintaining a dictatorship.
Article 8
It is the solemn duty of all free nations and international institutions to support democratic aspirations, to protect those fleeing tyrannical oppression, and to employ all peaceful means—including diplomatic, economic, and legal sanctions—to isolate dictatorial regimes and hasten their end.
Article 9
A world order based on justice and law requires the universal rejection of dictatorship. All states shall cooperate to build international mechanisms capable of preventing the rise of such regimes and ensuring a peaceful transition to democracy for all peoples.
Article 10
Nothing in this Declaration shall be interpreted as authorizing any state to intervene in a manner contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, but nothing shall preclude peaceful international action taken to protect a population from a regime that has declared war upon its own people.
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