The Summit is organised by The Club of Madrid.

The Club de Madrid opens the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security in Madrid

• Heads of State, ex-Heads of State and more than 200 world experts on terrorism and security, political and religious leaders, policy makers, and citizens from all over the world will participate.
• Madrid will host this conference from March 8th - 11th

Madrid (March 8, 2005) – The President of the Club of Madrid and ex President of Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and the Secretary General of the Club of Madrid and ex Prime Minister of Canada, Kim Campbell, have officially opened the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism, and Security which will take place in Madrid from today, March 8th until next Friday, March 11th.

“The Club of Madrid decided to organize this international Summit as an independent and non partisan event, with the hope of transforming it into a symbol of a democratic answer to terrorism.” commented Henrique Cardoso, We have gathered many of the world’s greatest experts and I know they will provide us with an excellent foundation for understanding and future action.”

The conference brings together 23 Head of State and Government , 34 ex Head of State and Government, and more than 200 international experts on terrorism and security, religious and political leaders, as well as citizens from across the globe via the internet. They will all participate in this world forum with the objective of debating how terrorism can be fought effectively, while protecting the civil rights and liberties of individual citizens.

According to the Secretary of the Club of Madrid, “Where there is rule of law, there is the basis for trust, and democratic countries can develop even more ways of working together in order to deal with terrorist threats. Through this Summit, we will show that cooperation between democratic countries can strengthen security.”

The summit is also sponsored by His Majesty the King of Spain, the government of Spain, and the autonomous regional government of Madrid, and the Madrid City Hall.

The Summit will conclude with the presentation of the Madrid Agenda, a set of guidelines aimed at shaping democratic responses to terrorism. The Madrid Agenda will be published on March 11, 2005.

Additional information:

About the Conference – The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security is a non-partisan event, which aims to unite all democratic forces from across the political spectrum. Since terrorism is a global phenomenon which requires a global response, it is our objective to provide an international forum to debate fresh ideas, stimulating dialogue and comparative learning. www.safe-democracy.org.

About the Club of Madrid – The Club of Madrid is an independent organisation whose purpose and priority is to contribute to strengthening democracy throughout the world. It stimulates, promotes and conducts initiatives and activities and participates in projects supporting this objective. The Club of Madrid also acts as a consultative body for governments, democratic leaders, and institutions involved in processes of democratic transition. The personal and practical experience of its members - 55 former heads of state and government - in processes of democratic transition and consolidation is the Club of Madrid’s unique resource. Along with the experience and cooperation of other high level political practitioners and governance experts, this resource is a working tool to convert ideas into practical and feasible recommendations and action plans for implementation. The President of the Club of Madrid is Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil. The Secretary General is Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada. www.clubmadrid.org.

For more information: www.safe-democracy.org.