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