UNITED NATIONS DEMOCRACY PROMOTION THROUGH CIVIL SOCIETY EMPOWERMENT - A case study of The Gambia’s democratic transition

Abstract

United Nations (UN) democracy promotion has increasingly emphasized civil society empowerment as a form of democracy support in developing countries. This study addresses the research question: How has United Nations (UN) democracy assistance been translated into democratic activities by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in The Gambia since the 2016 political transition, and how do these activities align with theoretical expectations about democratic deepening in post-authoritarian contexts? Drawing on qualitative interviews with CSO leaders and a UN official, complemented by UN reports and documents, the study examines how the UN supports CSOs and the activities this support enables during democratic transition. The analysis shows that UN support primarily takes the form of project funding, capacity-building initiatives, and institutional assistance, which interviewees perceive as enabling CSOs to engage more consistently in civic education activities and oversight-oriented initiatives. Rather than proving causal links, the study positions these activities within existing theoretical perspectives that emphasize the importance of civil society engagement for democratic deepening. The findings suggest that UN support contributes to the organizational capacity and scope of CSO activities in The Gambia in the drive for successful transition, while also highlighting important limitations of the study.