Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Department for Human Rights File No.: 104.A.1.B.1-3-49.C
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Department for Human Rights File no.: 104.A.1.b.1-3-49.c Internal Grant Committee Meeting 2 April 2014 Agenda Item no.: 3 1. Title: Core support to International Dalit Solidarity Network 2. Partners: International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) 3. Amount: 4.2 million DKK 4. Duration: 3 years (2014-2016) 5. Previous Grants: 2008-09: 1.4 mio. DKK; 2010-11: 2 mio. DKK; 2012-12: 2 mio. DKK. 6. Strategies and policy priorities: Strategy for Denmark’s development cooperation: “The Right to a Better Life” (2012); Denmark's approach to International Human Rights Cooperation (2009). 7. Danish Budget account code: 06.32.08.70. “Democracy and human rights” 8. Desk officer: Jakob Haugaard 9. Head of Department: Mette Nørgaard Dissing-Spandet 10. Summary: International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) is an international human rights civil society organisation with a secretariat in Denmark. The aim of IDSN is to make an effective contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights of Dalits and those affected by caste discrimination and to promote effective means and good practices for the elimination of caste discrimination. This is done through the following four programmes: 1) UN advocacy, 2) EU advocacy, 3) Communication and Networking, 4) Caste, labour, business and human rights. The Danish commitment of 4.2 mio. DKK for a three year period is provided as a core contribution to IDSN’s programmes and the secretariat in Denmark. Following a review in 2014, IDSN will elaborate a strategy guiding its advocacy work to be adopted at latest in the first quarter of 2015, including a fundraising strategy. 0 PURPOSE AND PROBLEM FORMULATION: Caste discrimination affects around 260 million persons worldwide with the vast majority living in South Asia. Violence and atrocities against Dalits, in particular Dalit women are not only widespread but continue to increase, effectively with a high level of impunity for perpetrators when it comes to crimes against Dalit women. The International Dalit Society Network (IDSN) is the only international human rights civil society organisation (CSO) that systematically targets EU and UN human rights bodies. This is done on behalf of and in cooperation with CSO’s from caste affected countries, solidarity networks and international human rights CSO’s. The secretariat is located in Copenhagen. It employs an Executive Director, two Programme Officers, a Communication Officer and a part time accountant. The main objective of IDSN is to eliminate caste-based discrimination and similar forms of discrimination based on work and descent. In 2014-2016, IDSN will continue to advocate for the human rights of Dalits in multilateral fora, monitor the enforcement and implementation of measures aimed at combating caste-based discrimination, work towards global recognition of the human rights of Dalits by raising awareness and building solidarity, creating and maintaining a resource base that facilitates and strengthens solidarity and interaction with multilateral bodies. This grant is core support to fund the entire programme portfolio as well as the administration of IDSN. Denmark has provided core support to IDSN since 2008. In order to assess the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of IDSN’s work, an external review covering the period 2009-2013 was conducted in January – March 2014. The review has served as a key input in the preparation of this application. The review recommended an increase with up to 50% from the previous grant amounting 1 million DKK per year to consolidate the activities of IDSN and strengthen the organisational capacity of the secretariat. The executive summary is attached in annex 1. As a follow-up to the review, IDSN will elaborate a strategy by 1st half of 2015 that clarifies IDSN’s added value, goals and means to achieving them. The strategy will make use of “theory of change” and the human rights based approach. IDSN’s focus includes the whole spectrum of human rights topics relating to caste discrimination, and IDSN clearly has a human rights based approach. Hence, IDSN responds to the principles of the strategy for Denmark’s development cooperation. CHALLENGES/UNDERLYING CONSIDERATIONS: Caste discrimination cuts across all spheres of life, sectors and institutions. Dalit women face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination as they are both discriminated on the basis of caste and gender. Thus caste-based discrimination needs to be addressed at all levels. Whereas special legislative and policy measures have been adopted by some states, enforcement and implementation remain key challenges. However, elimination of caste-based discrimination is by most caste-affected countries regarded as a very sensitive issue. This constitutes a challenge for the work carried out by the IDSN. A reluctance exists for instance on the part of member states of the UN to propose resolutions or promote joint statements on caste-based 1 discrimination in the Human Rights Council. Likewise, with the exception of the Universal Periodic Review, caste-based discrimination has largely been unaddressed by the UN Human Rights Council. IDSN’s application for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) has been pending approval since 2007 due to repetitive questions which has led to deferrals. At the organisational and institutional area, the review has identified a list of recommendations and suggestions in order to improve the governing structures and institutional tools of IDSN (see Annex 2). PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION: IDSN is an international advocacy organisation based on a network of international human rights and development organisations, national Dalit platforms and organisations in caste- affected countries in South Asia, and national Dalit Solidarity Networks from Europe. IDSN bridges international and national levels in caste affected countries: National and local CSO’s feed IDSN with background information and policy inputs, which IDSN digests and feeds into the EU and the UN. The core grant will support the implementation of the IDSN Programme for 2014-2016, which consists of 4 programmes and 1 cross-cutting component: 1) UN advocacy, 2) EU advocacy, 3) Communication and Networking, 4) Caste, labour, business and human rights, and 5) Strategic support and development of IDSN’s structures. The UN advocacy programme aims at increasing the international awareness and recognition of caste discrimination as a human rights problem both within UN human rights bodies as well as among UN member states, UN experts, UN agencies and civil society. Furthermore, the UN Programme strives at ensuring representation of Dalit communities at UN level. In the UN Programme the adoption of the draft UN principles and guidelines for the effective elimination of discrimination based on work and descent is of key importance. The draft was published in 2009 and constitutes to date the most comprehensive framework to encourage specific anti-discrimination legislation and relevant policy measures to eliminate caste-based discrimination. IDSN seeks to promote joint action by a group of supporting states, and among civil society organisations advocating for the endorsement of these draft principles by the UN Human Rights Council. Furthermore, IDSN works for the development of a UN agency guidance framework that would use the draft UN principles and guidelines as a mainstreaming tool with regard to caste-based discrimination. IDSN will also work for continued engagement and strategic focus on caste discrimination by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as enhanced attention to caste-sensitive policies and programmes by relevant UN funds and programmes, such as UNDP and UNICEF. IDSN’s long-term aim is to generate broad support for the establishment of a UN mechanism for the effective elimination of discrimination based on work and descent, in line with charter-based mechanisms protecting minority rights and indigenous peoples’ rights. 2 In close collaboration with members and associates, IDSN aims at systematically monitoring and providing input to relevant human rights bodies, including the work of selected UN Special Procedures, selected reviews by the UN committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and other UN treaty bodies, some thematic reports and country missions of UN Special Procedures, and the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review. This includes bringing attention to thematic concerns in respect of caste discrimination, in particular the women’s agenda, affected country situations, states’ lack of human rights compliance, and bringing the non-implementation of existing legal provisions to the forefront. Furthermore, IDSN strives to have caste status recognised as a ground of discrimination to be tackled on par with other forms of discrimination. In addition, the programme aims at facilitating regular representation of Dalit activists in UN events and lobby work and hereby enhancing links between international advocacy and the work of Dalit platforms at national and local level. The main objective of the EU advocacy programme is to raise awareness and recognition of caste-based discrimination as a development challenge for EU institutions and member states in addition to it being a global human rights issue. The IDSN aims at influencing EU institutions and member states to take actions addressing caste-based discrimination as part of EU international human rights policy, development cooperation and humanitarian