News
News
October 15, 2018
An UNDEF regional project has just completed a series of activities aimed at contributing to efforts to repeal criminal defamation laws and other restrictions to freedom of expression - barriers to strong and stable democracies. Project grantee PEN International in collaboration with its centres in Africa, in particular Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia, the project provided capacity building for writers in 10 African countries to enable them to initiate strong advocacy campaigns and become experts in the issue of defamation at the national level. more >>
October 02, 2018
Climate resilience is essential to building sustainable communities. Women play a key role in local adaptation and mitigation efforts with regard to climate change, but in Cambodia they have limited access to decision-making processes. The Cambodian Development Resource Institute under its UNDEF grant is empowering women and women’s groups to promote and advocate for climate change adaptation initiatives. more >>
September 17, 2018
The annual Athens Democracy Forum was held on 14-19 September 2018, organized for the sixth time by The New York Times in cooperation with the UN Democracy Fund and Athens City Hall. As in previous years, the Forum coincides with the International Day of Democracy. more >>
May 29, 2018
Against the backdrop of the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on the Global Compact on Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, UNDEF participated in an interactive panel discussion on the political participation of migrants and refugees, hosted by International IDEA at UN Headquarters.
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April 03, 2018
An UNDEF-hosted side event during the March 2018 session of the UN Commission on Status of Women showcased UNDEF projects on the theme Empowerment Through Democracy, Civil Society and Innovation. UNDEF Executive Head Annika Savill was joined by Ambassador Tanmaya Lal, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN; Ambassador Kelley Currie, U.S. Representative for Economic and Social Affairs to the UN; Dr. Wairimu Njoya, UNDEF Advisory Board member and Assistant Professor of Political Science and Gender Studies, Williams College.
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February 14, 2018
An UNDEF project launched in early 2018 will work in the Guinea-Bissau regions of Bafata and Gabu to decrease gender-based violence, focusing on female genital mutilation. It will also champion freedom of speech for human rights defenders, and young people’s participation in public decision-making processes. more >>
December 01, 2017
UNDEF Executive Head Annika Savill participated in the launch of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance's landmark report, The Global State of Democracy: Exploring Democracy's Resilience, together with Jan Eliasson, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, International IDEA representatives Massimo Tommasoli and Adina Trunk.
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November 17, 2017
UNDEF’s annual call for project proposals is open from 20 November to 20 December 2017, after receiving the green light from the UNDEF Advisory Board on 16 November. This is the Twelfth Round to be launched by UNDEF, which provides grants of up to US$300,000 per project.
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October 27, 2017
A documentary on Bolivian transgender rights was recently screened in La Paz at the forum “Progress and Challenges relating to the human rights of the LGBT community”. The documentary was produced as part of the UNDEF funded project “Building an Inclusive Democracy through Knowledge-building and Dialogue on LGBT rights”. Implemented by the NGO Coordinadora de la Mujer, the project goal is to enhance the leadership and advocacy skills of the Bolivian LGBT community and develop a political agenda to include LGBT rights in Bolivian law.
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