LITHUANIA IS INVITED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE UNDEF ADVISORY BOARD THAT PROMOTES DEMOCRACY AROUND THE WORLD
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invited Lithuania to become a member of the UN Democracy Fund’s (UNDEF) Advisory Board for two years, starting on 1 January 2012.Established by the UN Secretary-General in 2005, the UNDEF mainly aims to support democratization efforts around the world through the financing of specific projects.
The UNDEF supports projects that strengthen civil society, promote democratic institutions, the rule of law and protection of human rights. The UNDEF is funded exclusively through voluntary contributions of Member States of the United Nations.The invitation to Lithuania to become a member of the UNDEF’s main governing mechanism should be considered as an international recognition of the country’s activity related to democracy promotion.
In 2009-2011, Lithuania played an important role in the development of global democratic processes when chairing the Community of Democracies. This intergovernmental organization brings together more than 100 countries and mainly aims to promote democracy and to strengthen democratic institutions around the world.
The promotion of human rights, gender equality, democracy, the rule of law and good governance are also an integral part of Lithuania’s development cooperation policy.
The implementation of organisation’s obligations in the field of human rights and freedoms topped the agenda of Lithuania’s outgoing Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Lithuania has dedicated particular attention to the strengthening of media freedom and to the safety of journalists in the OSCE area.
The Advisory Board of the UNDEF offers the Secretary-General policy guidance for the development of programme frameworks and recommends funding proposals. The Advisory Board consists of 19 members: the seven largest contributors to the UNDEF (Australia, India, Japan, Germany, Qatar, Spain and the U.S.), the six countries fostering democratic values, four individual members, and two civil society organizations.
The total amount of contributions to the UNDEF surpassed 120 million US dollars. The UNDEF receives an average of about 2,000 applications a year and some 60-70 are selected. Since 2005, the UNDEF has supported a total of more than 330 projects in 110 countries.
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