The members of United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) Advisory Board met to review and endorse a selection of projects for its 18th Round of Funding totaling over USD 7.6 million.  

For Round 18 UNDEF has received 1,863 project proposals from organizations in 133 countries, underlining a significant demand for democracy promotion initiatives globally. These proposals span various regions, predominantly originating from local civil society organizations across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. 

This year, UNDEF placed a special emphasis on climate action in addition to its six key focus areas: the rule of law and human rights, youth engagement, women’s empowerment, support to electoral processes, strengthening civil society capacity for interaction with government, and media and freedom of information. 

A team of nine international experts rigorously evaluated each proposal against a comprehensive set of 10 criteria, resulting in a longlist of 201 projects. To refine the selection further, UN Resident Coordinators contributed their insights and feedback, ensuring alignment with existing efforts in respective countries and fields.  

Additionally, the Democracy Fund Programme Consultative Group, comprising UN entities such as the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, UN Development Programme, and UN Women, enriched the selection process with their expertise.  

Based on this collaborative effort, the Democracy Fund Secretariat recommended a list of 39 project proposals, reflecting a diverse list of democracy initiatives. It should be noted that the projects fostering the inclusion of women and youth, empowering them to actively engage in public affairs, and advocating for human rights were prioritized. 

Ms. Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships, emphasized the significance of the focus on climate justice initiatives, stating, " The focus on climate justice initiatives is particularly important. This year’s Earth Day saw urgent calls to action by leaders at all levels to address the climate crisis." 

Participants had a chance to learn from the work of the Human Rights Platform in Ukraine funded by UNDEF, which has been instrumental in improving the quality of citizen journalism despite present challenges.  

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The Advisory Board comprises those UN Member States who have made the largest cumulative financial contributions to the Fund over the previous three years; a number of UN Member States reflecting geographical diversity; international civil society organizations; and individuals serving in a personal capacity.