CEJIL Support to Interamerican System of HR CEJIL Support to Interamerican System of HR Fundacion CEJIL Mesoamerica has applied to Sida for funding of 6 000 000 SEK to support CEJIL's core work under a project called "Towards Increased Protection of Human Rights in El Salvador and Honduras", to be implemented during the period of 2017-2019. CEJIL´s mission is to contribute to the full enjoyment of human rights in the Americas through effective use of the tools of the Inter-American System and other International Human Rights Law protection mechanisms. It's mandate is carried out within three programme areas: 1) Legal Defence Programme; 2) Training and Dissemination Programme; and 3) Strengthening of the Inter-American System Programme. Within these areas CEJIL provides free legal advice and training in the use of international human rights instruments to victims of human rights violations, their families, civil society organizations and government agencies, while working towards full implementation of international human rights norms in Organization of American States OEA member states.

Closely planned and coordinated with local non-governmental human rights organizations, the intervention is aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights in El Salvador and Honduras by building local capacity to access and use the Inter-American Human Rights System tools. The intended intervention will support CEJIL's core activities, with special emphasis on: transitional justice and state violence in El Salvador; investigation and documentation of responsibility of non-state actors in serious human rights violations in Honduras; strengthening of strategic litigation capacity of women's and LGBTI organizations; creating access to sexual and reproductive health and therapeutic abortion in El Salvador; and supporting judicial independence and protection of human rights defenders in Honduras.

As the expected outcome of the intervention, protection of human rights and capacity of local organizations in El Salvador and Honduras to use the tools of the Inter-American Human
Rights System to increase access to justice will be strengthened; national and regional strategies that contribute to the identification, prevention and sanctioning of human rights violations committed by state and non-state actors will be in place; actions directed to creation and implementation of norms and practises guaranteeing rights of women and members of LGBTI community will be implemented; and judicial independence and the protection of human rights defenders will be strengthened in Honduras through coordination of actions that contribute to strengthening of rule of law.

The intervention is closely linked with other interventions and Swedish partners in Honduras and El Salvador, namely the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights and the Fund for Global Human Rights, giving this intervention additional value for the Swedish cooperation. Insatsen innebär finansiering  om 6 000 000 kronor för den regionala organisationen Fundación CEJIL Mesoamerica 2017-2019. CEJIL är en regional organisation som ger stöd till lokala MR-försvarare; stödjer stater i att utveckla strategier för att förebygga och beivra MR-övergrepp; uppmärksammar MR-övergrepp internationellt och representerar offer för MR-övergrepp i det Inter-Amerikanska Systemet för Mänskliga Rättigheter. CEJIL arbetar också direkt med det Inter-Amerikanska MR-systemets institutioner (framförallt Domstolen och Kommissionen), i syfte att göra dessa mer inkluderande och effektiva. Sidas bidrag ges i form av ett icke-öronmärkt kärnstöd till CEJILs reguljära verksamhet, men CEJIL visar i sitt programförslag till Ambassaden tydligt vilken del av sin verksamhet som organisationen ska utöka med hjälp av det svenska bidraget, nämligen:
(i)utökning av verksamheten i två specifika länder, Honduras och El Salvador.
(ii)vidareutveckling av arbetet inom specifika tematiska prioriteringar i de två ovannämnda länderna, inklusive situationen med ökat våld i El Salvador och kopplingar mellan näringsliv och mänskliga rättigheter inom ramen för icke-statliga aktörers ansvar i Honduras.
(iii)utökning av CEJIL: s arbete relaterat till skyddet av människorättsförsvarare som arbetar med miljö, försvar av kvinnors rättigheter och tillgång till rättslig prövning för försvar av sexuella och reproduktiva rättigheter och förbättrat skydd av LGBTI-rättigheter.

Sida kommer att fokusera sin uppföljning särskilt på CEJILs resultat inom dessa områden. Stödet till CEJIL kompletterar väl det stöd som ges genom Global Fund for Human Rights direkt till lokala organisationer och MR-försvarare i Honduras och El Salvador. During 2018, Sida provided country specific support to CEJIL for its work in El Salvador and Honduras, moving to core funding as of 2019 to support implementation of CEJIL's institutional strategy plan 2019-2022 together with other four main institutional donors (Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Kellogg Foundation with Sweden covering 34% of the total institutional budget). The main objective of the institutional strategy is to support access to justice for historically marginalized groups at national and international level, as part of a goal to contribute to strengthening of rule of law and fulfillment of social development goals.

CEJIL's mission is to promote human rights through effective use of the Inter-American Human Rights System. It's mandate is carried out within three programme areas: 1) Legal Defence, 2) Training and Dissemination, and 3) Strengthening the Inter-American System. Within these areas CEJIL provides free legal advice and training in the use of international human rights instruments to victims of human rights violations, families, civil society organizations and government agencies, while working towards full implementation of international human rights norms in Organization of American States OEA member states.