“Besides sharing common values, democratic partners must also jointly shoulder responsibilities; they must not only voice support for one another, but also establish a cooperative system for mutual support and joint response to challenges.”
These words from Taiwan President Lai Ching-te captured the essence of the Forum for Democratic Cooperation held in Taipei, Taiwan on 26-28 May 2026. Organized by Forum 2000 Foundation, in collaboration with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event brought together democratic actors from the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and partner countries to strengthen resilience, deepen cooperation, and address shared challenges in an increasingly volatile global environment.
A delegation from the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) figured prominently in the three-day event. In the afternoon of 27 May, former CALD Chairpersons Mardi Seng and Chee Soon Juan spoke in the panel discussion, “Democrats under Pressure: Building Solidarity across Authoritarian and Challenging Contexts.” They tackled the political contexts in their respective countries, and what forms of solidarity are most useful for democrats working under pressure. They also spoke about the need to build resilience, and how democrats should utilize democratic openings whenever available.
In the evening of the same day, Alysa Chiu, vice-chairperson of the CALD Women’s Caucus and deputy director of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took part in the panel, “Taiwan’s Democratic Resilience: Institutions, Adaptation and Lessons.” The discussion focused on how Taiwan’s democracy remains open, responsive and effective despite the challenging strategic environment it operates in. Chiu, in particular, emphasized how Taiwan strategically makes use of Tracks 1.5/2 diplomacy given its restrictive and shrinking international space.
On 28 May, CALD Executive Director Lito Arlegue moderated the workshop, “From Contacts to Cooperation: Building Practical Coordination Across the Indo-Pacific and Beyond.” The inputs from the workshop dealt with meeting the conditions that facilitate cooperation, with the kind of democratic infrastructure that should be established, and with the need for intergenerational dialogue and youth engagement. The workshop also came up with specific recommendations for Forum 2000 and other partners on the next steps that should be taken to keep the democratic momentum.
Jaslyn Go, chairperson of the CALD Women’s Caucus, also participated in the event. When asked on her reflections, she said: “The state of democracy in the world, and more specifically in the Indo-Pacific, is facing a critical test as internal institutional backsliding meets rising external pressure from assertive authoritarian powers. Ultimately, the survival of democracy depends on the realization that isolated democratic states cannot withstand these pressures alone—their greatest strength lies in their collective resilience.”
Categorised in: News Article
This post was written by CALD
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