CRD regional Western Balkans 2019-2020 - CRD regional Western Balkans 2019-2020 new fin. CRD regional Western Balkans 2019-2020 The Civil Rights Defenders Organization (CRD) has applied for Sida funding of 28 210 000 SEK to implement the regional programme "Strengthening implementation of European human rights standards in the Western Balkans" in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia including participants from Macedonia and Montenegro during the period 2019 to 2020.

The contribution intends to increase people's access to justice; increase people's access to information and strengthen the professional and organisational capacities of local human rights defenders. 

The regional programme concerns a phasing-out support of Sida's long-term cooperation with the CRD in Western Balkans with the objetive to strengthen the sustainability of CRD's previous work. An important part of this is the capacity-enhancing support provided by CRD to their local partners from civil society, which also work to strengthen human rights, freedom of expression, anti-discrimination and the rule of law. The phase-out contribution is to be seen as a bridge-support that will allow CRD to establish partnerships with other donors to continue their work in the region. The programme therefore also include a variety of administrative costs.

The project's total budget is SEK 28 210 000. CRD's total income for 2017 amounted to SEK 82 000 000 of which the project budget amount is 17 percent. The total indicative budget of the contribution is 28 500 000 SEK which consists of 28 210 000 SEK for the project and 290 000 SEK for the procurement according to Sida's framework for audit, internal management and control. Organisationen Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) har ansökt om finansiering från Sida om 28 210 000 SEK för att genomföra det regionala programmet "Strengthening implementation of European human rights standards in Western Balkans" i Albanien, Bosnien Hercegovina, Kosovo och Serbien inklusive deltagare från Makedonien och Montenegro under perioden 2019 till 2020. 

Insatsen ämnar öka människors tillgång till rättvisa, öka människors tillgång till information samt stärka lokala människorättsförsvarares professionella och organisatoriska kapaciteter i regionen.

Insatsen avser ett utfasningsstöd av Sidas mångåriga samarbete med CRD i Västra Balkan med syfte att stärka hållbarheten av CRD:s tidigare arbete. En viktig del av detta är det kapacitetshöjande stöd som CRD ger till deras lokala partners från civilsamhället som också arbetar för stärkta mänskliga rättigheter, yttrandefrihet, anti-diskriminering och rättsstatens principer. Utfasningsstödet är att se som ett bryggstöd till CRD att etablera samarbeten med andra givare för att fortsätta sitt arbete i regionen och inkluderar därför en mängd administrativa kostnader. 

Projektets totala budget är 28 210 000 SEK. CRD:s totala inkomst för 2017 uppgick till 82 000 000 SEK, varav projektets budget utgör 17 procent. Insatsen totala indikativa medelstillförsel om 28 500 000 består av 28 210 000 SEK till projektet och 290 000 SEK för upphandling enligt Sidas ramavtal för revision, intern styrning och kontroll. The programme’s overarching outcome objective is that human rights defenders are empowered to improve human rights standards thus strengthen the European integration process of Western Balkans countries.
This is broken down into three bridging outcomes:
i) People have increased access to justice;
ii) People have increased access to information;
iii) Professional and organisational capacities of local human rights defenders are strengthened.
The CRD reports that the programme was successful under all three Outcomes, with some deviations in relation to the targeted results at output levels in 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Under Outcome #1, CRD supported the work of the most important and most relevant Coalition working on the transitional justice, that is crucial for the reconciliation and sustainable peace in the region. The programme also actively worked to provide information to the public about highly relevant topics, with an emphasis on political developments, position of human rights defedners and challenges in the EU accession process.
Under Outcome #2, together with thr partners CRD worked on improving media situation and capacities of journalists and media professionals, both new ones as well as senior journalists.
CRD also worked to empower human rights defenders under Outcome #3 that was the main focus of this programme, and under this outcome CRD worked on increased capacities, outreach and networks of a significant number of human rights defenders from the Western Balkan.
The programme did not include subgranting but focused at capacity building measures, including advocacy and networking activities. The CRD reports regional outcomes related to unique regional initiatives such as Rule of Law Forum, Roma Summit, Moot Competition that combine capacity building and advocacy. Also South East EU Legal Days started and importantly contribute to improved dialog with governments.
The Embassy has maintained close contact and follow up of the programme with the CRD, and also remained in close contact with the Sida S relevant colleagues for exchanges, consultations and guidance in relation to CRD and Sida central discussions. This has worked well both during 2019 and 2020. In response to corona crisis in 2020, the Embassy engaged to even intensify dialogue with our partners on changed conditions for their activities to assess possible risks. The Sida flexible approach to making justified adjustments to plans and budgets with -as always - the starting point that aid should have as high effectiveness as possible, gave CRD good opportunities for justified adjustments. CRD reports efficiency with this approach especially in relation to support to media that was on the front lines of violent events that took place (in Serbia for instance). One example is efficient and timely training that CRD facilitated on how to report fromviolent spots, which was highly beneficial and appreciated - as CRD reports.
CRD underlines that for overall focus at EU integrations, the national contexts remain important. The programme continued in 2020 to work with important and relevant areas such as RoL, support to improvements for LGBT, also transitional justice, human rights in closed institutions, improving media literacy and other areas in mainly in line with the approved Annual Work Plan and Budget for 2020. Many activities were adapted to the digital format and/or rescheduled in expectations of the improved Covid19 situation, but there was no reshaping of programme focus.
Sida have not approved the CRD request for additional funding in 2020 to extend the programme scope under the Covid19 circumstances, but rather recommended that the CRD might need first to follow closely the execution of the approved budget and apply for Sida prior approval for utilisation of any possible savings. Sida also approved the CRD request for a no cost extension of the programme until end of March 2021 to allow for implementations of the planned activities that were delayed and than rescheduled due to Covid 19 situation.
CRD reports now that the pandemics has changed their way of working and has influenced on the results on the output level to some extent, but it had no effect on the results at the outcome levels.