Fourth Round of Funding is open for applications from 16 November to 31 December13 November 2009
The window for applications for UNDEF's Fourth Round of Funding is
open from 16 November to 31 December 2009. Only applications using the UNDEF
on-line system in English or
French
and received before the deadline will be accepted. The selection process is expected to be highly rigorous and competitive,
considering that for the Third Round, some 70 project proposals were selected out of more
than 2,100 received.
Please study the Fourth Round proposal guidelines in English and in French, as well as the FAQs. You may also wish to look at feedback and lessons learned issued to the Third Round applicants in English and in French. The feedback provides pointers on how to:
In other words, please start your application process early. Good luck!
Secretary-General issues UN-wide Guidance Note on Democracy21 October 2009
The Secretary-General has issued a widely awaited Guidance
Note on Democracy to all parts of the United Nations Secretariat,
including field presences. The Note sets out the UN framework in support
of democracy and commits the Organization to action. The Note, which followed
the Secretary-General’s call in 2007 for an organization-wide strategy
for democracy support, was the product of many months’ collaboration by
several entities of the UN, including UNDEF. It is an important step towards
strengthening United Nations engagement towards providing democracy support,
and provides a platform for working together on the basis of shared principles,
joint analyses and demand-driven strategies.
To view the Note, please click here.
Around the world on the International Day of Democracy29 September 2009
UNDEF's partners celebrated in many different ways on
the second International Day of Democracy, 15 September 2009. Here are
a few examples:
South Africa The South Africa-based Institute for Democracy in Africa, Idasa, marked the Day by extending its campaign for the endorsement of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, drafted by the African Union, and called on more Governments to sign the Charter. Adopted in January 2007, the African Charter has been signed by 26 countries so far, but has been ratified by only Mauritania and Ethiopia. The campaign is a joint project of Idasa and the Africa Democracy Forum, and will soon become a project funded by UNDEF. Idasa, which already counts UNDEF as a donor in an existing project, said in a statement on the Day: "Despite the scourge of corruption and non-accountability in many African states, and the challenges of HIV/AIDS, human insecurities and climate change across the continent, building democracy in Africa is a task that cannot be delegated to other countries and governments who are friends of Africa; this remains a challenge for Africans themselves."
Morocco The Moroccan Center for Civic Education, supported by UNDEF, organized a roundtable on "The Role of Civil Society in Promoting the Values of Democracy". The event brought together university students, educators and NGO leaders from across Morocco. The event featured case study sessions and open discussions on education for democracy, responsibility, justice, rights and duties. The roundtable was widely covered by several radio stations as well as the Maghreb Arab Press.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union used the Day to highlight the theme of "Democracy and Political Tolerance", citing an IPU-commissioned international public opinion survey that showed strong support for political tolerance, but widespread perceptions of a serious lack of political tolerance in practice. The President of the IPU issued a statement underlining "the gulf that separates public aspirations for democratic governance and vigorous public debate, and the widely-held perception of political life as a closed space where there is little room for dissent and real consideration of alternative policy options". The President urged all parliaments "to act decisively to enhance political tolerance". The IPU also organized in Gaborone a Parliamentary Conference on Democracy in Africa, in cooperation with the Parliament of Botswana.
Cambodia In Cambodia, the National Assembly and Senate answered the call from the IPU and held campaigns and workshops on the theme of "Democracy and Political Tolerance". The President of the National Assembly, Heng Samrin, said, "This year marks the sixteenth anniversary of Cambodian democracy under the new Constitution declared in 1993. We have come a long way in developing our democratic institutions, and look forward to working with the international community in future to continue that development." The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia issued a call for a restructuring of the National Assembly which, with the appropriate checks and balances, would allow for minority party representatives to participate effectively in debates.
Secretary General celebrates with UNDEF on International Day of Democracy
'They look to the United Nations as an impartial,
peaceful and legitimate means to seed and strengthen the foundations
of democracy from within.'
On the Second International Day of Democracy, 15 September 2009, the United Nations Democracy Fund organized an event at UN Headquarters featuring a keynote speech by the Secretary-General, and a screening of "Please Vote For Me" -- a documentary about a classroom election campaign in Wuhan, China. The film is part of "Why Democracy" -- an UNDEF-supported international documentary project using film to start a global conversation about democracy. In his speech, the Secretary-General spoke about the role of the United Nations in democracy support -- through its convening power, its impartiality and its universal values. "That means using our comparative advantage," he said. "Often, we can go where other entities may find it harder to operate. Often, we can go where other actors do not or cannot go." Given the lively debate worldwide about democracy promotion, it had become necessary to ensure that international efforts in support of democracy were widely acceptable and accepted. People and Governments looked to the United Nations as an impartial, peaceful and legitimate means to seed and strengthen the foundations of democracy from within, in concert with the will of the people and underpinned by the rule of law. The Secretary-General noted that as an essential step, he recently circulated a Guidance Note on Democracy to all parts of the United Nations, including field presences. The note sets out the UN framework for democracy, based on universal principles, and commits the Organization to coherent and consistent action.
The Secretary-General also looked at what the UN's work for democracy means in practice, drawing on initiatives made possible by support from the United Nations Democracy Fund -- from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan and Palestine to Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. The event also featured remarks by Professor Michael Doyle, the Chair of the UNDEF Advisory Board, who spoke about the innovative aspects of UNDEF's work and thanked the Secretary-General for his personal leadership. To read a full transcript of the Secretary-General's speech, click here. To view a trailer from "Please Vote For Me", click here.
UNDEF Update
Welcome to the latest issue of UNDEF Update, the newsletter of the United Nations Democracy Fund. This electronic quarterly provides a user-friendly snapshot of what we do, how we work and why. To view the latest issue, please click here. Previous issues:
SUCCESSFUL THIRD ROUND APPLICANTS ADVISED
The UN Secretary-General has accepted the recommendations of the Advisory Board and approved the list of projects for the Third Round of UNDEF funding. Successful applicants have been advised by email. They are now required to prepare project documentation and to cooperate with continuing due diligence requirements. Funding will only be approved once the documentation has been accepted. Because the process is therefore not yet complete, UNDEF does not publish the list of successful applicants at this stage. The list will be published later in the year. UNDEF wishes to thank all those who applied in the Third Round. With over two thousand applications, it was a particularly difficult task to select the proposals for the final short list. As the Executive Head of UNDEF pointed out to the Advisory Board, "UNDEF cannot guarantee that only the best applications made it onto the short list. Although the assessment and quality control processes are rigorous, the results cannot be claimed to be scientifically beyond error. No doubt many excellent project proposals have not been selected. But UNDEF can assure the Board that those proposed projects that made it through to the short list are of excellent quality." It is not UNDEF practice to advise unsuccessful applicants of the results or to enter into a dialogue on individual applications. If applicants have not received an email from UNDEF to the contact points provided in the application, they can assume that their proposals are not on the final short list. Feedback was provided to applicants in UNDEF Update 2. We encourage applicants to read the feedback carefully and to begin now to think through their future applications to UNDEF. Subject to the views of the Advisory Board, the next round of funding should begin in November 2009 through the on-line UNDEF application database. Please monitor this website for further information.
News from the FieldThe Right to Communicate Through Community Radio 25 August 2009
In Ghana, the 1992 Constitution which ended military rule upholds the freedom and independence of the media. The deregulation of broadcasting in 1995 greatly enhanced freedom of expression, but has not spawned adequate pluralism and diversity of voice. Marginalized groups have not been awarded the community radio frequencies they need to fully exercise the Right to Communicate. This is why the Ghana Community Radio Network, GCRN, was formed in 1999 by the three Community Radio stations then on air and a number of community radio initiatives. With UNDEF funding, GCRN aims to double the number of community radio frequency authorizations, thus doubling the number of communities in Ghana that can exercise their Right to Communicate through community radio. [Full Story]
Chair of UNDEF Advisory Board, Professor Michael Doyle, speaks at World Economic Forum event November 2008, Dubai
The Chair of the UNDEF Advisory Board, Professor Michael W. Doyle, presented a paper on democratic liberalization at the Global Governance Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum in Dubai, 7-9 November 2008. In it, he noted that world politics has often been said to be a dangerous “jungle.” But are its dangers a product of the absence of a world policeman or of the presence of rapacious state “beasts”? The most sensible answer is surely, both he argued. While global governance tends to focus on creating new rules for the “jungle,” we should not neglect reforming the “beasts."
Approved 2nd Round Projects The United Nations Democracy Fund is pleased to announce the projects funded in the Second Round of funding. Some 83 projects with a value of $24 million are being funded in 2008. Under the Secretary-General's guidance, supported by the UNDEF Advisory Board, UNDEF concentrates its efforts on supporting civil society organizations. All the projects in the Second Round, with the exception of two projects supporting regional electoral bodies and three projects delivered by intergovernmental bodies, are directed to civil society. United Nations bodies decided that they would no longer be applicants for UNDEF funding and no grants have been made to UN bodies in the Second Round. Presented here is a summary of the projects, an analysis in the form of a number of pie charts and an explanation of each individual project.
Regional Roundtable on “Democratic Reforms in the Arab region: A Focus on Socio Economic Policies” 10 October 2008, Beirut
Roland Rich, Executive Head of the United Nations Democracy Fund, delivered a statement at the Regional Roundtable on “Democratic Reforms in the Arab region: A Focus on Socio Economic Policies” in Beirut on 10 October 2008. In his statement, Mr. Rich mentioned the role of the United Nations Democracy Fund in supporting the voice of civil society in promoting democracy. Mr. Rich wished the round table great success, mentioning that the role of UNDEF is not to engage in the debate but to help Arab civil society have a voice. For complete statement made by Roland Rich, click here. The conference agenda is also available.
Special Issue of World of Parliaments 15 September 2008
The Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) issued a special
issue of its quarterly journal World of Parliaments in September
2008 to coincide with the first International Day of Democracy (15
September).
Secretary-General attends UNDEF Advisory Board Meeting 31 March 2008
The Seventh UNDEF Advisory Board meeting was held on 28 March 2008. The Secretary-General of the United Nations attended the meeting (see the Secretary-General's statement and an article published by the UN News Centre), which is the first Board meeting of year 2008. Sixteen of 19 Board members participated in the meeting. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss a recommended list of projects for the second round of funding.
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