Résumé
This publication analyses global and regional democracy trends and challenges based on International IDEA's newly developed Global State of Democracy (GSoD)indices, which capture global and regional democratic trends between 1975 and 2015. In an effort to bridge the gap between academic research, policy development and democracy assistance initiatives, it offers recommendations and problem-solving approaches to support democratic reform, and to inform policymakers and democracy practitioners worldwide. This first edition explores democracy's resilience based on a detailed analysis of the impact of the process of democratic backsliding on the quality of democracy as well as key challenges to democracy such as the crisis of representation, the increasing influence of money in politics, rising inequalities, migration and democratic transitions in the wake of conflict. Gender equality is undoubtedly a corner stone of democracy and a prerequisite for sustainable development, as defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5.