World leaders, ministers and high-level officials from 54 countries across the Asia-Pacific region will participate in the fifth Bali Democracy Forum (BDF). The Foreign Ministry’s director general for information and public diplomacy, Abdurrahman M. Fachir, said that the BDF would seek to discuss approaches to integrating democratic principles into global governance, especially in managing collective efforts to promote peace, security, economic development and the enjoyment of human rights.

The European Union (EU) has long been one of the leading international actors in recognizing the potential of cities as agents of global governance. Fostering a variety of initiatives through the Committee of Regions, which acts as the EU’s assembly of regional and local representatives, Europe has promoted the participation of cities in regional and international governance since its early days.