United Nations Democracy Fund

United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) "was established in July 2005 as a United Nations General Trust Fund. Its primary purpose is to support democratization throughout the world. UNDEF will finance projects that build and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights, and ensure the participation of all groups in democratic processes.

"The Fund will provide assistance to governmental, non-governmental, national, regional, and international organizations, including relevant United Nations departments, offices, funds, programmes and agencies. The Fund will complement current UN efforts to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide.

"The Fund is supervised by Mr. Amir Dossal, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships (incorporating UN Fund for International Partnerships)."

On 12 September 2007 it was announced that Roland Rich was expected to take up his appointment as Executive Head of the United Nations Democracy Fund in early October 2007.

Some of the first groups to received UNDEF funding included the Coalition for Accountability & Integrity, and Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation.

According to Freedom House:


 * "The Fund is arguably the most visible outcome of the Community of Democracies process, which was launched in June 2000 in Warsaw, Poland. At that meeting, leaders from over 100 countries reaffirmed the right to democracy for all the world’s citizens, and committed themselves to joint efforts to advance and protect democracy around the world. Since then, under the auspices of the Community of Democracies, a group of democratic nations have made efforts – largely ad hoc until the Democracy’s Fund’s establishment - to provide assistance to strengthen democracy."

United Nations Democracy Fund: Approved Projects 2006

UN Secretary General Announces Creation of a UN Democracy Fund
"On July 4, 2005, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the establishment of a UN Democracy Fund. The idea for the Fund was first articulated by President Bush in a speech before the UN General Assembly last fall and has been embraced by the 141 nations that attended the third ministerial meeting of the Community of Democracies in Santiago, Chile in April 2005. The UN Democracy Fund builds on the UN General Assembly's commitment to promote and consolidate new and restored democracies, as expressed in a resolution adopted in 2003. Annan's announcement is an important step toward the September 2005 World Summit where world leaders will seek consensus on a UN Reform plan...

"The UN Democracy Fund will be a voluntary fund housed in the UN Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP)*, but with its own Executive Head who will report to an Advisory Board of Member States on substantive matters."

Funding
"UNDEF is a voluntary fund, established as a Trust Fund by the Secretary-General under the UN Financial Rules and Regulations. As of end August 2007, the fund had received more than US$67 million in contributions and pledges from Member States. The largest donors are: Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Qatar and the United States."

Financial Contributions

UNDEF has formed partnerships with some of the following groups:
 * International Centre for Democratic Transition (Hungary)
 * IDASA
 * IFES
 * International Peacebuilding Alliance, Interpeace
 * Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum
 * Conectas Human Rights (Brazil)
 * Inter-Parliamentary Union
 * Democratic Control of Armed Forces
 * International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
 * Club of Madrid

Who decides what projects will be funded?
"Final decisions on funding will be taken by the Secretary-General on the basis of recommendations from the Advisory Board. The Board has 17 members, composed of Member States, representatives appointed by the Secretary General and representatives from civil society organizations.

"The first meeting of the Advisory Board will take place in February 2006 to advise on policy issues. The first funding round will be in Spring 2006. More details will be posted on this web site as soon as they are available."

Advisory Board

 * Member States: Australia, Benin, Chile, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Qatar, South Africa, United States


 * Appointed by the Secretary-General: Prof. Michael Doyle, Columbia University; Ms. Rima Khalaf Hunaidi, UNDP; Prof. Guillermo O'Donnell, University of Notre Dame; Mr. Amir Dossal, UNFIP (ex officio)


 * Non-Governmental Organizations:CIVICUS, International Commission of Jurists

Another Advisor appears to be Azyumardi Azra.

Related Sourcewatch

 * Herbert Boh
 * Asia Pacific Judicial Reform Forum
 * ECHO

External Resources

 * Prakash Karat, "Bush visit: Perils of a strategic alliance", The Guardian, 22 March, 2006.