Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the UN Democracy Fund

The United Nations Democracy Fund today announced its first beneficiaries, awarding grants totaling US$ 36 million to 125 projects selected from around the world. The grants were selected from over 1,300 proposals and range from projects aimed at promoting civic education to voter registration, democratic dialogue and access to information. Over 60% of recommended recipients are civil society organizations. The Secretary-General warmly welcomes the announcement and believes that the initial response from applicants is powerful evidence of the strong demand for support from the UN for this very important agenda. He calls on all Members States to support the Democracy Fund and use it as an innovative and flexible mechanism for advancing the UN democracy agenda.