Deadline: 19-Jul-24
The Office of Global Criminal Justice has announced a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) Promoting Accountability for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes in Burma.
Project Goal
- GCJ seeks to advance victim-survivor-centered investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators of atrocities committed in Burma since 2011, by supporting the implementation of the justice and accountability components of UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/219 with respect to the situation of human rights of Rohingya and other ethnic and/or religious minority groups in Myanmar. A successful project will result in the advancement of victim-survivor-centered investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators of atrocities committed in Burma since 2011.
Areas of Programming
- Programming may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following areas:
- The collection, verification, preservation, and analysis of evidence and information, including maintaining the legal chain of custody of interview statements, documents, photographs, videos, geospatial imagery, forensic material, and open-source intelligence.
- Applicants are expected to consider the inclusion of local civil society, particularly investigators, medical and legal professionals, and the deployment of digital technologies and machine learning, where appropriate.
- The preparation of perpetrator and incident case files to ensure impartial, credible, and independent criminal and civil proceedings in national, regional, or international courts or tribunals that have or may have jurisdiction over those crimes, in accordance with international standards.
- The filing of criminal complaints, petitions, amicus briefs, or memorials in national, regional, or international courts that may have jurisdiction over the commission of atrocity crimes by state or non-state actors and that may be adjudicating individual or state responsibility.
- The development and deployment of new technologies to improve searching, processing, and analyzing large holdings of documents, which may any language.
- Providing training to local documenters, law enforcement, judicial and/or prosecutorial actors on a range of subjects, including forensics, crime scene analysis, trial preparation, and interviewing of witnesses, including of crimes related to sexual violence and/or those involving children.
- Developing protocols for and providing victim/witness protection and/or support-related services, including mental health and psychosocial services, to percipient, survivor, and insider witnesses, wherever where they may be located.
- Other activities that contribute to justice objectives, including trial monitoring and outreach; the sharing of analytical products and expertise; identification, location and introduction of witnesses and sources to competent jurisdictions; and translation of high-value material.
- Contributing to existing transitional efforts aimed at truth-telling; lustration; restitution, rehabilitation, and reparations for survivors; memorialization; institutional reform; and guarantees of non-repetition.
- The collection, verification, preservation, and analysis of evidence and information, including maintaining the legal chain of custody of interview statements, documents, photographs, videos, geospatial imagery, forensic material, and open-source intelligence.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Ceiling: $1,100,000
- Total Funding Floor: $1,000,000
- Period of Performance: 12-24 Months
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 1
Expected Outcomes
- Applicants are expected to achieve the following desired results:
- measurable progress in implementation of UN General Assembly resolution 78/219;
- foster accountability and expansion of the rule of law in Burma; and
- strengthen cooperation between local civil society stakeholders and national, regional and/or international justice mechanisms and investigative bodies.
Performance Indicators
- All projects should have qualitative and quantitative indicators. (For an indicator to be useful it must be specific and unambiguous, observable, and measurable, and linked to outcome/output achievement.)
Key Considerations
- Proposals must reflect a clear understanding of international criminal law, operational investigative and prosecutorial standards, and jurisdictions available to seek criminal accountability for atrocities committed in Burma.
- Operating in Burma can be difficult and unsafe, applicants should consider how this affect project activities and monitoring.
- When working with victims and witnesses, the proposal must include clear processes for informed consent, confidentiality, and preventing re-traumatization. Expenses for victim/witness protection and/or support-related services, including mental health and psychosocial services are considered allowable.
- Activities should include support to victims through the trial process, including psychosocial support where possible.
- Applicants must incorporate plans on how their proposals will support and be de-conflicted with ongoing transitional justice work being undertaken by other U.S. government entities and international donors, as well as the UN, other international organizations/mechanisms, and non-governmental organizations, as applicable.
- Applicants must consult with and have the support of relevant partners and beneficiaries. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate local organization(s). Where appropriate, applicants are invited to form consortia and submit a combined proposal, but one applicant must be designated as the lead (“prime”) applicant and others listed as sub-recipients.
Eligibility Criteria
- GCJ welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO); Public International Organizations; Foreign Public Organizations; U.S.-based private, public, or State institutions of higher education; Foreign-based institutions of higher education, and U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses.
- Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.