Putting institutions above individuals: Ending impunity to save trust in democracy

October 02, 2025

- YouTube

Ambassador Paula Narváez Ojeda warns that when powerful actors break norms without consequences, young people lose faith, further pushing societies toward tribalism and away from respectful debate, amplified by toxic social media dynamics. The fix: put institutions above individuals and make accountability real.

“How can we talk about democracy’s importance if people witness every day that nothing happens to those who don’t respect it?”

Excerpt from a Global Stage livestream at UN HQ on the International Day of Democracy.

Watch more of GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft, from the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly here: gzeromedia.com/globalstage

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Putting institutions above individuals: Ending impunity to save trust in democracy

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Putting institutions above individuals: Ending impunity to save trust in democracy

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

The Trump administration is moving closer to a direct confrontation with Venezuela, raising the possibility of what the president once vowed to avoid: another US-backed regime change.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Are there more autocracies than democracies in the world today, and why does it matter? María del Carmen Sacasa (UNDP LAC) argues we’re in a paradigm shift, not a terminal crisis.

Household debt rose to $18.39T in Q2. Payments are manageable now, but higher mortgage costs and student loan delinquency may soon strain household spending. Can consumers sustain resilience if the labor market continues to soften? Subscribe to Bank of Institute to read the full report.

Here is a look at how many workers of the 2 million civilian federal workers are in jeopardy until the government reopens.

After a spate of Russian drones appeared in European airspace, the European Commission is exploring a so-called “drone wall,” an air defense system that aims to detect and destroy drones that pass through Europe’s eastern borders.