European Grant for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and support for Human Rights Defenders

The European Commission has launched the Call for Proposals under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) to enhance the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in countries and situations where they are most at risk and where human rights defenders and civil society organisations work under severe constraints and are most under pressure

The specific objective of this call is to provide direct support and protection to human rights defenders and to reinforce their capacities to do their work in the short and long-term, as well as to provide tangible support and means of action to local civil society in the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in some of the world’s most difficult, dangerous and unpredictable political situations and/or where they are the most vulnerable and threatened.

For the purpose of this call for proposals, the concept “most at risk” refers to regions, countries and situations characterised by a serious lack of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; where human rights and fundamental freedoms are systematically violated; where there exists high risk to human security making it difficult for civil society and human rights defenders to operate, and where there is little or no room for political pluralism.

This call for proposals has three lots:

The Lot 1 targets actions taking place in one single country. They shall aim at enhancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and at supporting human rights defenders either in countries or in situations where they are the most at risk.

The Lot 2 targets global and/or regional actions aiming at enhancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and at supporting human rights defenders taking place either in countries or in situations where they are the most at risk.

The Lot 3 targets actions aiming at providing local civil society and human rights defenders with the technical tools and knowledge to circumvent cyber-censorship and to improve their digital security in those countries where Internet and digital communications are the object of surveillance, tracking, filtering or blocking or where digital communications are purportedly impaired.

As this is a restricted call for proposals, the European Commission is seeking only concept notes initially. Full proposals will be requested after reviewing and shortlisting the concept notes. The deadline to submit concept notes is 20 July 2012. For more information, visit this link.