Deadline: 05-Aug-2025
The UN Human Rights Office for Central Asia (OHCHR ROCA), as part of the EU-funded project supporting the National Preventive Mechanism and the Ombudsperson of the Kyrgyz Republic, is launching a Call for Proposals for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The aim is to engage CSOs in advancing human rights in the context of climate change in Kyrgyzstan.
CSOs will work closely with the Ombudsperson’s Office to develop a new methodology for monitoring and reporting the human rights impacts of climate change and national climate policies. They will also build the Ombudsperson’s capacity to analyze existing climate laws, policies, and practices, advising authorities on integrating human rights into climate legislation, supporting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) implementation, facilitating public dialogue, and offering technical advice to government working groups.
Additionally, CSOs will support handling and following up on complaints related to environmental degradation caused by climate change, industrial activities, and national climate policies. This includes establishing mechanisms to engage national authorities effectively for complaint resolution.
Capacity building is another key area, with the CSO expected to provide tailored training and workshops for Ombudsperson staff and other stakeholders on monitoring and reporting human rights impacts linked to climate change and environmental rights. These sessions will be conducted both in-person and online.
The CSO will also collaborate on advocacy, developing policy recommendations and strategies to promote human rights integration in climate policies. Public awareness efforts include supporting the Ombudsperson’s Office in producing reports for UN and regional human rights bodies, organizing awareness activities, and engaging with media to highlight the connections between human rights, climate change, and environmental protection.
The grant offers up to $50,000 in funding for a maximum duration of eight months, from September 2025 to April 2026. Deliverables include a new monitoring methodology, at least ten expert training sessions, a thematic report on environmental rights complaints, identification and referral of at least two cases of environmental violations, two high-level dialogue events, and the development of an advocacy strategy involving media engagement. Regular progress reports and a comprehensive final project report are also required.
Eligible applicants are local CSOs registered in Kyrgyzstan, with proven administrative and financial capacity, relevant experience in human rights and climate change, and preferably familiarity with the Aarhus Convention. Proposals should be feasible, programmatically relevant, and include sustainability strategies and budgets.
Grant recipients should demonstrate strong knowledge of human rights principles related to a clean and sustainable environment, experience in monitoring and data collection, ability to collaborate with government bodies, capacity building skills, and project management experience.
Selection will be based 70% on technical merit—evaluating the proposal design, relevant experience, local presence, and work plan—and 30% on financial criteria, focusing on cost-effectiveness.
For more information, visit UN in Kyrgyzstan.
