A/HRC/22/29 practices drawn from national experiences and international and regional cooperation for the promotion of democracy and the rule of law. II. The concept of democracy A. Definition 6. Although all civilizations feature different forms of democracy, the concept is a disputed one and there exists a multiplicity of perspectives in understanding its content. The lack of unanimity about the concept of democracy is not, however, inherently problematic, as its contours are identifiable. Etymologically derived from the Greek word demokratia, democracy is, in its basic understanding, indicative of a system where the people (demos) exercise rule (kratos). This original dimension captures the fundamental characteristic of democracy, the rule of the many—as opposed to non-democratic systems such as autocracy (the rule of one), oligarchy (the rule of the few) and aristocracy (the rule of ―the best‖)—but it does not fully account for the breadth of the notion, in particular the mechanics of such exercise of power and their societal articulation. 7. In addition to opposition to tyranny, three elements characterize the understanding and the practice of democracy. First, democracy is an institutional arrangement relied upon for arrival at political decisions in which citizens hold power through elections. Second, democracy is a system of governance in which rulers are held accountable for their actions in the public realm by citizens acting indirectly through the competition and cooperation of their representatives. Third, democracy is a political norm predicated upon equality and justice.3 8. These elements were broadly captured by the former Commission on Human Rights in a landmark resolution (2002/46), further developed by the Human Rights Council in resolution 19/36, in which the Council stated that democracy includes respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, inter alia, freedom of association and of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, the right to be recognized everywhere as a person before the law and the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, to vote in a pluralistic system of political parties and organizations and to be elected at genuine, periodic, free and fair elections by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the people, as well as respect for the rule of law, the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary, transparency and accountability in public administration and decision-making and free, independent and pluralistic media. 9. This definition illustrates the fact that democracy is not confined to the organization of democratic elections, however central those are to it. Citizens must control the political process continuously, beyond the electoral moment. Moreover, democracy is not solely the articulation of popular sovereignty (government of the people, by the people and for the people) but also encompasses values of responsibility and accountability. 3 4 These three elements appear variously throughout the literature on democracy. See, notably, Joseph Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (New York, Harper and Brothers, 1942); Philippe Schmitter and Terry Lynn Karl, ―What democracy is … and is not‖, Journal of Democracy, vol. 2, No. 3 (1991), pp. 75-88; and David Held, Models of Democracy, 2nd ed. (Stanford, California, Stanford University Press, 1996), p. 2.