KEY POINTS:
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don McKinnon has been awarded the Defender of Democracy Award for 2008.
Mr McKinnon received his award from the New York-based Parliamentarians for Global Action at its annual forum in the Dominican Republic yesterday.
The award is presented to individuals who, through their own commitment and active engagement, have made significant progress in strengthening democracy and democratic practices worldwide.
Mr McKinnon became Secretary-General of the Commonwealth in 1999.
During his tenure, he dealt with issues such as Robert Mugabe's controversial reign in Zimbabwe and George Speight's coup in Fiji in 2000.
Last year, Mr McKinnon mediated between the Fiji, Australian and New Zealand Governments in their dispute over an appropriate timetable and rules for holding elections in Fiji after a coup led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
He stepped down from his Commonwealth position in April this year.
In his acceptance speech for the award, Mr McKinnon saiddemocracies could not thrive without the trust and will of the people who were the electors.
"We are all at the forefront of democracy, its promotion and defence," he said.
"Your voices can and should be heard when democracy is under fire, especially from within."
He urged the parliamentarians to ensure that Governments acted within the laws that they and those before them had enacted.
Former recipients of the Defender of Democracy Award include Prime Minister Helen Clark, who won it in 2004.
