Institute of Democracy and Cooperation
Institute of Democracy and Cooperation is a think tank in Paris. It is a separate organisation from the similarly named think-tank in New York. Both were originally founded in 2008 by a Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena and a group of Russian NGOs but they were operationally and structurally independently of one another and the New York IDC closed down in 2015. IDC in Paris is funded by Russian charitable foundations. It is headed by historian and former Russian State Duma deputy Natalia Narochnitskaya. The British philosopher and historian John Laughland is Director of Studies.
Focus
The Institute describes its aims as being
| “ | part of the debate about the relationship between state sovereignty and human rights; about East-West relations and the place of Russia in Europe; about the role of non-governmental organisations in political life; about the interpretation of human rights and the way they are applied in different countries; and about the way in which historical memory is used in contemporary politics. | ” |
It describes its outlook on human rights and international relations as "broadly conservative", referring to its emphasis on the nation-state as the best framework for the realisation of human rights and a belief that "humanitarian intervention" is often counter-productive.
Its President and Director of Studies appear regularly on the media and at international conferences, including at international organisations like the European Parliament or the United Nations, when they address a wide range of matters of topical interest, often bringing a historical or philosophical perspective to international affairs. The Institute is active all over Europe, with partners in Rome, Berlin and Prague, and it has organised several Side Events at the UN in Geneva (it is accredited to the UN with ECOSOC status).
References
IDC web page in English, French and Russian.