United Nations Democracy Fund
Encyclopedia
The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) was established by United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
in July 2005 at the African Union
Summit in Sirte
, Libya, as a United Nations General Trust Fund under his authority. Its primary purpose is to support democratization
throughout the world. UNDEF finances projects that build and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights
, and ensure the participation of all groups in democratic processes.
The Fund provides assistance to governmental, non-governmental, national, regional, and international organizations, including relevant United Nations departments, offices, funds, programmes and agencies. The Fund complements current UN efforts to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide.
The projects do not promote any single model of democracy. As the Heads of State reiterated in the 2005 Summit Outcome Document, democracy does not belong to a single country or region. They stressed that “democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural system and their full participation in all aspects of their lives.”
The purpose of the Fund is to build capacities for democratic governance, especially at the country level. This can only be done effectively in a supportive institutional environment. Under no circumstances will activities funded by the UNDEF be “imposed” on a country. The approach will necessarily be one of collaboration and support.
has said http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3400 that UNDEF’s focus “recognizes a fundamental truth about democracy everywhere -- that it is ultimately the product of a strong, active and vocal civil society. It is such a civil society that fosters responsible citizenship and makes democratic forms of government work.”
The majority of UNDEF projects are in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Eastern Europe, and fall under one or more of six main areas:
Comparative advantage
UNDEF distinguishes itself from other parts of the UN system involved in governance work by focusing on the demand side of democracy, rather than the supply side. It also differs from non-UN funders in the field – whether bilateral donors or foundations – through the uniqueness of the UN brand. UN support for a project confers legitimacy, a convening power, an absence of historical or colonial baggage, protection, prestige and a ripple effect inspiring other civil society organizations to strive for the same. US foreign policy expert Morton Halperin argues in his 2010 book The Survival and The Success of Liberty: A Democracy Agenda for U.S. Foreign Policy: “Go multilateral: The role of coordinated international efforts to support democracy will often be crucial… UNDEF is not subject to the approval of any other body, and thus is free to distribute funds without interference from particular countries.”
Within the UN Secretariat, the UNDEF Programme Consultative Group serves as UN inter-agency mechanism that provides expert advice, including on recommendations for project selection. It comprises the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN Development Programme, the UN Development Fund for Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
To ensure low overheads, the UNDEF office is managed by a small team http://www.un.org/democracyfund/About_Us/about_us_page_staff.html of four professionals, led by Roland Rich of Australia, a former diplomat and director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at Australian National University.
. This in turn has been echoed in a variety of documents – declarations, conventions, covenants, most notably the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which contains binding obligations on States Parties in respect of elections, freedom of expression and association and assembly and other vital democratic entitlements. In the 1990s, a period characterised by important changes in various parts of the world, democracy has also become a theme of a number of international conferences, and major UN organs, including the General Assembly
, pronounced themselves on ways to strengthen democracy.
This process was matched by increasing operational activities in support of democratisation processes by the UN System. In particular, in 2000 the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) placed democratic governance at the heart of its development cooperation programme, equipping itself with greater internal expertise in this area and channeling a substantial proportion of its core resources in this direction. Another significant development was the establishment in 1992 of the Electoral Assistance Division within the Department of Political Affairs.
The links between international peace and security, sustainable human development and democratization were all embraced again by the international community with the unanimous adoption of the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit
in 2000.
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
in July 2005 at the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
Summit in Sirte
Sirte
Sirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
, Libya, as a United Nations General Trust Fund under his authority. Its primary purpose is to support democratization
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
throughout the world. UNDEF finances projects that build and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and ensure the participation of all groups in democratic processes.
The Fund provides assistance to governmental, non-governmental, national, regional, and international organizations, including relevant United Nations departments, offices, funds, programmes and agencies. The Fund complements current UN efforts to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide.
The projects do not promote any single model of democracy. As the Heads of State reiterated in the 2005 Summit Outcome Document, democracy does not belong to a single country or region. They stressed that “democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural system and their full participation in all aspects of their lives.”
The purpose of the Fund is to build capacities for democratic governance, especially at the country level. This can only be done effectively in a supportive institutional environment. Under no circumstances will activities funded by the UNDEF be “imposed” on a country. The approach will necessarily be one of collaboration and support.
The United Nations Democracy Fund - UNDEF
The United Nations Democracy Fund, UNDEF, supports projects to strengthen democratic development in more than 100 countries. It is the only United Nations entity with the primary purpose of supporting democracy through empowering civil society, the only UN body that has the word “democracy” in its title, and one of the youngest entities in the UN system.Background
The creation of UNDEF was announced by UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan at the African Union summit on 4 July 2005 http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=1553. The establishment followed joint proposals from the Governments of the United States and India to strengthen international democracy assistance through multilateralism. The establishment of the Fund was welcomed http://www.un-documents.net/a60r1.htm by all UN Member States at the 2005 World Summit in September that year.Mission
UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations – both in the transition and consolidation phases of democratization. In this way, UNDEF plays a novel and distinct role in complementing the UN's more traditional work—the work with Governments – to strengthen democratic governance around the world. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
has said http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3400 that UNDEF’s focus “recognizes a fundamental truth about democracy everywhere -- that it is ultimately the product of a strong, active and vocal civil society. It is such a civil society that fosters responsible citizenship and makes democratic forms of government work.”
Support from President Obama
UNDEF was one of only two UN entities singled out for support by U.S. President Barack Obama in his speech to the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2010. Declaring that “it’s time for every Member State... to increase the UN Democracy Fund”, President Obama spoke of democracy as the form of government that delivers most for citizens, and described civil society – the focus of UNDEF's work – as the shapers of human progress and the conscience of communities.Projects and grants
In its first four Rounds of Funding, UNDEF has supported more than 330 projects http://www.un.org/democracyfund/worldwide_index.html in 115 countries across all continents, from China, Iran and Myanmar to the Russian Federation, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. UNDEF provides grants of up to US$500,000 per two-year project. Project proposals are subject to a highly rigorous and competitive selection process, as UNDEF receives an average of about 2,000 applications a year and only an average of 60-70 are selected.The majority of UNDEF projects are in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Eastern Europe, and fall under one or more of six main areas:
- Community development
- Rule of law and human rights
- Tools for democratization
- Women
- Youth
- Media
Comparative advantage
UNDEF distinguishes itself from other parts of the UN system involved in governance work by focusing on the demand side of democracy, rather than the supply side. It also differs from non-UN funders in the field – whether bilateral donors or foundations – through the uniqueness of the UN brand. UN support for a project confers legitimacy, a convening power, an absence of historical or colonial baggage, protection, prestige and a ripple effect inspiring other civil society organizations to strive for the same. US foreign policy expert Morton Halperin argues in his 2010 book The Survival and The Success of Liberty: A Democracy Agenda for U.S. Foreign Policy: “Go multilateral: The role of coordinated international efforts to support democracy will often be crucial… UNDEF is not subject to the approval of any other body, and thus is free to distribute funds without interference from particular countries.”
Funding
UNDEF subsists entirely on voluntary contributions http://www.un.org/democracyfund/Donors/donors_index.html from Governments; in 2010, it surpassed US$110 million in cumulative contributions from 39 countries, including a wide range of non-traditional donor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Contributions to UNDEF qualify as Official Development Assistance, and several donors choose to make multi-year commitments. The United States and India remain the two biggest donors.Governance
As a Secretary-General’s Trust Fund located within the UN Secretariat, UNDEF falls under the direct authority of the UN Secretary-General. The Secretary-General is guided by the UNDEF Advisory Board http://www.un.org/democracyfund/About_Us/about_us_page_advisoryboard.html, which consists of the seven biggest UNDEF donor countries—as of 2010, the United States, India, Japan, Qatar, Germany, Australia and Spain; six States from different regions, chosen for their proven commitment to democracy; two representatives of civil society organizations; and three individuals, including the Chair of the Board. Since 2007, the Chair has been Professor Michael Doyle http://www.law.columbia.edu/law_school/communications/reports/fall2003/mdoyle of Columbia University, a former UN assistant secretary-general for policy planning under Secretary-General Kofi Annan. All members serve for a two-year term.Within the UN Secretariat, the UNDEF Programme Consultative Group serves as UN inter-agency mechanism that provides expert advice, including on recommendations for project selection. It comprises the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN Development Programme, the UN Development Fund for Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
To ensure low overheads, the UNDEF office is managed by a small team http://www.un.org/democracyfund/About_Us/about_us_page_staff.html of four professionals, led by Roland Rich of Australia, a former diplomat and director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at Australian National University.
Democracy and the United Nations
For the UN, the importance of democracy and of democratic values was first highlighted in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as in the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
. This in turn has been echoed in a variety of documents – declarations, conventions, covenants, most notably the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which contains binding obligations on States Parties in respect of elections, freedom of expression and association and assembly and other vital democratic entitlements. In the 1990s, a period characterised by important changes in various parts of the world, democracy has also become a theme of a number of international conferences, and major UN organs, including the General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, pronounced themselves on ways to strengthen democracy.
This process was matched by increasing operational activities in support of democratisation processes by the UN System. In particular, in 2000 the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) placed democratic governance at the heart of its development cooperation programme, equipping itself with greater internal expertise in this area and channeling a substantial proportion of its core resources in this direction. Another significant development was the establishment in 1992 of the Electoral Assistance Division within the Department of Political Affairs.
The links between international peace and security, sustainable human development and democratization were all embraced again by the international community with the unanimous adoption of the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit
Millennium Summit
The Millennium Summit was a meeting among many world leaders lasting three days from 6 September to 8 September 2000 at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Its purpose was to discuss the role of the United Nations at the turn of the 21st century. At this meeting, world leaders...
in 2000.
See also
- Inter-Parliamentary Union
- United Nations Parliamentary AssemblyUnited Nations Parliamentary AssemblyA United Nations Parliamentary Assembly is a proposed addition to the United Nations System that would allow for participation of member nations' legislators and, eventually, direct election of United Nations parliament members by citizens worldwide...
- National Endowment for DemocracyNational Endowment for DemocracyThe National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is a U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote US-friendly democracy by providing cash grants funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress...