Out of Athens more than 2,500 years ago, there came a simple and beautiful idea: that people are neither passive nor powerless, but free citizens with a
right to participate in the governance of their country.
The idea of democracy has gathered force down the centuries, inspiring billions across the world, and converging on the principles we all share.
We believe that our peoples are entitled to elect and remove their governments through the ballot box, overseen by independent courts and a free media.
We’re only here because our electorates have, at least for the time being, raised us to positions of responsibility for their affairs - but they have every right to cast us down and out again, and we would not wish it any other way.
No-one knows more about trusting the voters than our host, President Biden, who has, by my count, fought 11 elections, at least as many as any leader in the democratic world.
Yet democracy is not just an ideal: it is the best practical way of creating the atmosphere of free inquiry that allows genius to breathe.
In an era when technological advance and therefore economic success depend on discovery and invention, it is no coincidence that of the 10 most innovative countries in the world, nine are liberal democracies.
And it is because of these innate advantages that it has never been more vital to strengthen democracy at home and stand up for our principles abroad, including through our trade, security and economic partnerships.
So we in the United Kingdom are working with our friends to ensure that emerging technologies are designed to safeguard our shared values of freedom and openness.
We are joining our fellow democracies to help developing countries to build clean and green infrastructure with transparent projects, that are open to scrutiny by the people who will benefit.
And we are using our new system of national sanctions to target those responsible for corruption or human rights violations across the world.
This summit provides an opportunity to go further and in the “Year of Action” that will follow, Britain will take even stronger measures against the illicit finance that undermines democracy everywhere, strengthening our law enforcement powers to go after the criminals who abuse our corporate structures.
We will bring more openness to the purchase of properties in the UK by overseas entities and take forward new laws to safeguard our democratic processes and institutions from those who would do us harm.
And as we do this, we know that we cannot take democracy for granted, but nor should we waver in our faith that trusting the people is the surest route to national unity and success.
Thank you.
Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.