About UNDEF
UNDEF was created by UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan in 2005 as a United Nations General Trust Fund. It was welcomed by the General Assembly in the Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit (A/RES/60/1, paragraphs 136-137). 聽The Fund supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society organizations, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. UNDEF works directly with civil society partners at local, regional and global levels, complementing the UN鈥檚 work with governments, to strengthen governance around the world.
For twenty years, UNDEF鈥檚 1,000+ projects have spanned over 130 countries across the globe, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
The grant process begins and ends at the project site: the Fund is demand-driven, not supply-oriented. UNDEF works with its partners to generate, design, manage, and fund projects that can strengthen participatory governance in seven main areas:聽
- Rule of law and human rights;聽
- Youth engagement;聽
- Women鈥檚 leadership and gender equality;聽
- Media and freedom of information;聽
- Strengthening civil society interaction with government;聽
- Support for electoral processes; and
- Civic engagement for climate action
Grants average about $200,000 per project.聽
By creating networks and convening opportunities, UNDEF strengthens partnerships among civil society, the UN, governments, and academia to advance good governance and drive dialogue across major multilateral platforms and global events.
As a self-sufficient and largely autonomous part of the United Nations system funded entirely by voluntary contributions, UNDEF is uniquely positioned to build mutual understanding and cooperation between states and civil society at the local, national, and global levels.聽
