BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF VOLUNTARY FUND FOR TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN HUMAN RIGHTS TO MEET IN GENEVA FROM 30 NOVEMBER TO 3 DECEMBER

HR/98/91
26 November 1998





The Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights will hold its tenth session from 30 November to 3 December 1998 in Geneva.

The Voluntary Fund, established in 1987 by the Secretary-General, provides financial support for practical activities and programmes aimed at advancing democracy, development and the rule of law. The Board of Trustees, which administers the Fund, will review and make recommendations at this session on 14 new project proposals. These include seven country project proposals (Philippines, Morocco, Nicaragua, Georgia, Chad, Croatia, Indonesia); four regional project proposals (one for Latin America, three for Asia-Pacific) and three global project proposals.

The Board will also review the implementation of ongoing projects in Azerbaijan and Nepal, as well as one regional project for Africa and one for Latin America. In addition, its members will meet with contributors to the Voluntary Fund, as well as with Member States of the United Nations.

The Secretary-General established the Voluntary Fund to strengthen the United Nations Programme of Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights. It is funded from voluntary contributions by Governments.

The Voluntary Fund became operational in 1988. It has received an average of $3 million per year in contributions and pledges. This year it has already received more than $10 million in contributions and pledges.

Technical cooperation projects are developed in close cooperation with the requesting Government and the United Nations agencies and programmes present in the country concerned. Programmes are operational in more than 40 countries, providing assistance for the building of national and regional capacities for protecting and promoting human rights, in particular: creation or strengthening of national human rights institutions; education and training of government officials, lawyers, judges, defence forces, police and prisons officials; penal reform; broad-based education and public information for the respect of human rights.

The Board of Trustees was established in 1993 to assist in fund-raising and to provide expert advice and support for the Voluntary Fund. Members are appointed by the Secretary-General for three years and are chosen for their independence and wide experience in the field of human rights and technical cooperation.

The Board meets twice a year to review new projects and provide guidance regarding management. At its July 1998 session, the Board reviewed and endorsed five new project proposals and four on-going project proposals.

The first five members of the Board of Trustees were appointed in December 1993, and reappointed in September 1996. The members of the Board of Trustees are: Leila I. Takla (Egypt), Chairperson; Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium), Vice-Chairperson; Kinhide Mushakoji (Japan); Luis Pérez Aguirre (Uruguay), and Krzysztof Skubiszewski (Poland)

The meeting will be held in room IX of the Palais des Nations.