Grants to support Good Governance in areas of Human Rights & Democracy – Cameroon

Deadline: 1-Aug-23

The European Commission (EC) is offering grants to support good governance and protect human rights in the penitentiary sector.

Objectives

The two specific objectives of this call for proposals are:

• Strengthening of good governance of the penitentiary system with particular attention to detention centers. The priorities that correspond to this specific objective are indicated below. Suggested activities are indicative only:
  • Support for the management and operation of detention centers with a view to humanizing detention conditions: training of prison staff, police and gendarmerie in human rights; advocacy with penitentiary, governmental, parliamentary and judicial authorities on the effective application of legislative and regulatory provisions relating to conditions of detention in prisons;
  • Direct support for the most vulnerable detainees, in particular through psychosocial assistance, access to basic necessities and access to health services: nutritional assistance to detainees and strengthening of prison kitchen services; strengthening and support for prison health units and personnel, prevention and health awareness; maintenance and cleaning of prison environments; strengthening the coordination of civil society in responding to the needs of detainees.
  • Support for access to justice for detainees, with particular attention to persons in preventive detention or in detention without charge: advocacy for respect for the constitutional principle of habeas corpus, the maximum limitation of recourse to preventive detention and in favor of the reduction of judicial delays; establishment of a multi-stakeholder consultation framework around prison and judicial governance integrating civil society, judicial and prison authorities and the bar; establishment of legal clinics.
  • Support for pilot activities to support the application of alternative penalties: advocacy campaign for the application of alternative penalties, alternative measures to imprisonment and adjustments to the sentence of imprisonment during execution; advocacy for the application of alternative measures and diversion mechanisms to minors and women.
• Strengthening the professionalization of the media and the education of citizens in the media. More Grant amount: Specifically, the priorities that correspond to this specific objective are:
  • Support for the empowerment and strengthening of the critical spirit of citizens and more particularly young people, children and their parents on the documents or media (printed, audiovisual or electronic) of which they are recipients or observers. Training and awareness raising activities should be provided in this regard to prevent disinformation, the formulation and dissemination of fake news and speech inciting hatred and violence. Principles relating to human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, ethics and responsible use of social media should be promoted.
  • Reinforcement of the professionalization of journalists by supporting the establishment of a status for journalists: the objective here is to support the definition and establishment of a status for journalists in accordance with international standards. This status will define the profession of professional journalist and will grant them a certain number of rights intended to protect their freedom of expression and strengthen their independence. This statute will establish working conditions and a specific professional status for professional journalists;
  • Support for professionalization by supporting the training of journalists in their mission of research and verification, writing and then transmitting information. They must also benefit from reinforced training in matters of human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and respect for the rules of ethics and good conduct (fake news), as well as protection in the exercise of their functions through pilot activities.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2,250,000.
• Grant amount:
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
    • Minimum amount: 750,000 EUR
    • Maximum amount: 1,125,000 EUR
• Duration: The initial planned duration of an action may not be less than 24 months nor exceed 48 months.

Location: Actions must be implemented in: The Republic of Cameroon.

Eligibility Criteria

• lead applicant(s)
  • To be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • have no profit motive and
    • belong to one of the following categories of organisations: non-governmental organisation, public sector operator, local authority, and
    • be established in a Member State of the European Union or in a Member State of the European Economic Area or in the Republic of Cameroon,
    • this obligation does not apply to international organizations;
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and the affiliated entity(ies) and not act as an intermediary.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants take part in drawing up and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those borne by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria as apply to the lead applicant itself.
  • Co-applicants must sign the mandate form.
• Affiliated entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with one or more affiliated entities.
  • Only the following entities can be considered affiliated to the lead applicant and/or co-applicant(s):
    • Only entities that have a structural link with the applicants (the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
    • This structural link mainly encompasses two notions:
      • Control, on annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings.
      • Entities affiliated with an applicant can therefore be:
        • entities controlled directly or indirectly by the applicant (subsidiaries or first-tier subsidiaries) or controlled by an entity itself controlled by the applicant (sub-subsidiaries or second-tier subsidiaries). This is valid for the other control levels;
        • entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Similarly, they may be entities controlling a company controlling the applicant;
        • entities with the same level of direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies);
      • membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as, for example, a network, federation or association of which the proposed affiliated entity is a member, or the applicant is a member of the same entity (for example, a network, a federation or an association,) than the proposed affiliated entity.

For more information, visit European Commission (EC).