Call for CSOs working on Human Rights and Democracy (Costa Rica)

Deadline: 28-Feb-23

The European Commission (EC) is inviting proposals to strengthen the meaningful participation of civil society in the protection of democracy and human rights in Costa Rica and strengthen their role as key actors for good governance and sustainable and inclusive development, focusing on the protection of vulnerable groups.

Objectives

In defining the objectives and priorities of this call for proposals, the complementarity of both thematic instruments with the European Union Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP III) has been considered. 2021-2024 and the Human Rights and Democracy Strategy for Costa Rica defined by the Delegation of the European Union of Costa Rica for the 2021-2024 cycle; as well as the various consultations, verifications and dialogues held with the Civil Society and Human Rights organizations of Costa Rica during the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.
In accordance with the background provided, this call for proposals is composed of three lots, each with its specific objectives, priorities and respective allocations.

Lots

LOT 1: Civil Society Organizations Program
- The specific objective is to strengthen the role of Civil Society Organizations (OSC) as actors that contribute to development, good governance and the protection of human rights in Costa Rica of historically vulnerable populations, particularly indigenous peoples and the Afro-Costa Rican population.
- The priorities of this batch are:
  - Promote a favorable environment for inclusive development and the reduction of inequities of historically vulnerable populations, particularly indigenous peoples and the Afro-Costa Rican population, seeking to achieve decent livelihoods.
  - Strengthen the capacities of CSOs dedicated to historically vulnerable populations, such as indigenous peoples and the Afro-Costa Rican population, to guarantee the protection, respect and promotion of their fundamental rights, with particular emphasis on their economic, social, and cultural (eg right to water and sanitation, right to food, right to health, labor rights, right to a healthy environment, right to education, right to housing, cultural rights).
LOT 2: Human Rights and Democracy
- The specific objective is to support initiatives that seek to promote, protect and empower human rights organizations in Costa Rica dedicated to the issues of forced displacement and business and human rights
- The priorities of this lot are:
  - Strengthen the capacities of organizations and people involved in or affected by forced displacement (eg migrants, refugees, refugee claimants);
  - Promote respect, protection and promotion of human rights by strengthening state, employer and worker actors from the perspective of companies and human rights (eg corporate social responsibility, labor rights, green certifications, education, sustainability, international standards decent work).
LOT 3: Countering the misuse and abuse of new digital technologies – Mattress Human Rights and Democracy
- The specific objective is to support initiatives and CSOs that seek to prevent, protect and counter the misuse and abuse of new digital technologies.
- The priorities of this lot are:
  - Take advantage of the opportunities and potential of digital technologies for the respect, promotion and protection of human rights, preventing and counteracting their misuse and abuse.
  - Strengthen civil society organizations and citizens to take advantage of the potential of digital technologies for the protection of democracy and the rule of law.

Type of Actions (indicatively):

LOT 1: Civil Society Organizations Program
- Good governance: dialogue between CSOs and public institutions at the local and national level for the improvement of public policies and their comprehensive development.
- Strengthening the capacities of CSOs of indigenous, Afro-Costa Rican and vulnerable populations, to safeguard their fundamental rights, improve their living conditions, their participation in decision-making mechanisms and in public policy processes.
- Provide legal and legal assistance to indigenous, Afro-Costa Rican and vulnerable populations, for the Defense and protection of their fundamental rights and for the compilation of potential human rights violations.
- Promote interventions for the inclusive development of historically vulnerable populations, seeking a sustainable development approach.
- Procure access to essential services for historically vulnerable populations located in rural areas
- Promote and generate economic opportunities that are socially and environmentally sustainable for indigenous or Afro-Costa Rican communities in order to achieve decent livelihoods.
- Strengthen climate change mitigation and adaptation actions among historically vulnerable populations (eg indigenous peoples, Afro-Costa Ricans).
- Guarantee the right to a healthy environment for historically vulnerable populations, seeking to safeguard biodiversity and the development of productive activities with low environmental impact.
- Promote the protection of the fundamental rights of the beneficiary population, with particular emphasis on their economic, social and cultural rights (eg right to water and sanitation, right to food, right to health, labor rights, right to the environment health, right to education, right to housing, cultural rights).
- Promotion of a legal and institutional framework that prevents violence and discrimination against historically vulnerable populations.
- Strengthen the capacities of the most marginalized groups, such as women, girls, and youth, and their empowerment and participation in public affairs, including by promoting their participation in the economy, society, and decision-making.
- Promote actions and interventions to reduce the historical inequities that socially, economically and politically affect vulnerable populations.
- Support the collection of appropriate information, including statistical and research data on indigenous peoples, the Afro-Costa Rican population, and environmental data to design and implement policies.
- Training of human rights defenders and CSOs active in Human Rights and Democracy.
- Promote inclusive and strategic alliances, networks and cooperation with CSOs and other relevant stakeholder organizations or among CSOs promoting human rights and democracy.
LOT 2: Human Rights and Democracy
- Promotion of the adoption and implementation of international agreements and standards in environmental, labor and immigration regulations.
- Promote the organizational and citizen strengthening of youth, women, excluded populations and communities in general, with an emphasis on the local.
- Strengthen the capacities of labor groups (eg unions, associations, cooperatives), employer groups (eg business chambers) and state entities to apply a business and human rights approach that guarantees the fundamental rights of the beneficiary population.
- Strengthen legal capacities for a better use of international mechanisms, as well as provide support to people affected by human rights violations.
- Strengthen monitoring and research systems on i) business and human rights, or ii) forced displacement for the generation of situational reports addressed to international organizations or national entities.
- Promote, protect and promote labor, environmental and public health guarantees in productive companies in productive and extractive sectors, such as the agricultural sector.
- Facilitate dialogue processes and mediation activities (eg inter-community, political, public policy, sectoral).
- Document and report on cases of human rights violations.
- Promote the social and economic inclusion of displaced populations (migrants, refugees, asylum seekers).
- Promote the signing, ratification and effective application of international and regional agreements or standards relevant to human rights instruments.
- Monitor and report on the implementation of international human rights instruments that the country has ratified.
- Support the collection of appropriate information, including statistical and research data on migration, refuge and forced displacement to design and implement policies.
- Training of human rights defenders and CSOs active in Human Rights and Democracy.
- Promote inclusive and strategic alliances, networks and cooperation with CSOs and other relevant stakeholder organizations or among CSOs promoting human rights and democracy.
LOT 3: Countering the misuse and abuse of new digital technologies – Mattress Human Rights and Democracy
- Improve general knowledge and understanding of new technologies and their impacts on human rights and democracy.
- Provide training on the value of the open internet and informed decision making using the internet and digital technologies.
- Establish mechanisms to contribute to the protection of democracy and human rights in the digital sphere (access to information, privacy, participation in decision-making and dialogue on public policies)
- Building capacities on issues of human rights and digitization, digital security, privacy, fake news, and democracy for its strategic use by civil society, and promote close collaboration with experts to anticipate and counteract the harmful effects in terms of protection of personal data, democracy, privacy and security.
- Promote accountability through the activities of society organizations civil to the process of governance and exercise of governmental power.
- Strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations, the media and citizens to counter online and face-to-face threats to democracy (including interference, online manipulation, fake news), including by strengthening their role of supervision, oversight and comptrollership.
- Promote greater contact and cooperation between civic and political actors, including encouraging mechanisms for structured dialogue.

Funding Information

The total indicative amount allocated to this call for proposals amounts to EUR 1,964,000.00.
The amount related to LOT 1 will be EUR 1,414,000.00. The amount related to LOT 2 will be EUR 300.00.00.
The amount related to LOT 3 will be EUR 250,000.00. The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
- Indicative distribution of funds by lot:
  - Batch 1
    - Minimum amount: 300 000 EUR.
    - Maximum amount: 750 000 EUR.
  - Batch 2
    - Minimum amount: 300 000 EUR.
    - Maximum amount: 300 000 EUR.
  - Batch 3
    - Minimum amount: 250 000 EUR.
    - Maximum amount: 250 000 EUR.
  - The subsidies requested within this call for proposals will be between the following minimum and maximum percentages of the total eligible costs of the action:
    - Minimum percentage: 60% of the total eligible costs of the action
    - Maximum percentage: 90% of the total eligible costs of the action

Eligibility Criteria

Main applicant(s)
- To be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  - Be a legal person
  - Not for profit;
  - Be a civil society organization;
  - Be established in a Member State of the European Union, in Costa Rica or other admissible countries in accordance with the provisions of the basic act IVCDCI-GE
- Be legally constituted for at least three (3) years prior to the presentation of the proposal and have all the official documentation of its registration before the component national authorities or organizations;
- Be directly responsible, with their co-applicants and affiliated entities, for the preparation and management of the action and not merely act as intermediaries
- In the case of a non-Costa Rican applicant, it must be submitted with a minimum of one (1) Costa Rican co-applicant.
- Potential applicants who are in one of the situations of the Practical Guide are not eligible to participate in calls for proposals or apply for a grant.
Cosolicitors
- When the main applicant is not Costa Rican, there must be at least one national (Costa Rican) co-applicant with proven work experience in the respective lot.
- Co-applicants will participate in the design and implementation of the action, and the costs they incur will be eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
- Co-applicants must meet the eligibility criteria applicable to the lead applicant itself.
- Co-applicants must sign the mandate
- If the grant contract is awarded, the co-applicants (if any) will become beneficiaries of the action (together with the coordinator).
- In addition, please note that contracts cannot be awarded or signed with those applicants included in the lists of restrictive measures of the EU
Affiliated Entities
- The main applicant and its co-applicants may act with affiliated entities.
- Thus, the affiliated entities of an applicant may be:
  - Entities controlled directly or indirectly by the applicant (subsidiaries or first level subsidiaries). They can also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (second level affiliates), and the same applies to the following levels of control.
  - Entities that directly or indirectly control the applicant (parent companies). Affiliated Entities – entities receiving financial support from the applicant, The main applicant and its co-applicants may act with affiliated entities. Likewise, they may be entities that control an entity that in turn controls the applicant.
  - Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (associated companies).
  - Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as, for example, a network, federation or association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate, or the applicant participates in the same entity (for example, a network, federation or association) than the proposed affiliated entities.

For more information, visit European Commission.