Human Rights and Democracy Projects (Hansard, 30 March 2004)

HC Deb 30 March 2004 vol 419 c1313W 1313W

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on(a) the prevention of torture in Georgia and (b) the campaign against torture in Ukraine; and what assessment he has made of each project; [163863]
(2) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project on (a) improving the functioning of the political institutions and reinforcing the mechanisms of protection of human rights and (b) the support of the Moscow School of Political Studies; and what assessment he has made of the projects. [163865]

§ Mr. Rammell
Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and by local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the 2002 European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights micro projects in(a) Georgia, (b) Russia and (c) Ukraine were; how his Department was involved in the micro projects; and what assessment he has made of them. [163866]

§ Mr. Rammell
The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights micro projects scheme is for projects between 10,000 and 100,000 euros (£6,689 and £66,890). These are selected through calls for proposals conducted locally by EC delegations who manage and evaluate the projects.
Priority themes and budget allocations are set by the EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy on which the UK is represented by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU. Local British Embassies also keep in touch with the local Commission delegation.