Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
 Documents
 Mandate
Board of Trustees
Beneficiaries
The Grants Approval Cycle
Application forms:
- for travel
- project grants
Ninth
session of the Board of Trustees
Reports
Contributions
Contacts
How to Contribute to the Fund
The Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on
Contemporary Forms of Slavery held its 9th session from 26 to 30 January
2004 at the Palais Wilson. The Board reviewed the financial situation
of the Fund, the implementation of the decisions approved by the Secretary-General
in 2003 and met with several staff members working with relevant mandates.
It also adopted recommendations on: - applications for travel grants
to allow NGO representatives, including victims of contemporary forms
of slavery, to attend the 2004 session of the Working Group on Contemporary
Forms of Slavery; - and project grants received from grassroots NGOs
for the implementation of their projects in 2004 in favor of victims
of contemporary forms of slavery.
MANDATE
The
fund was established by the General Assembly in 1991 (RES.
46/122) with the purpose of assisting non-governmental organizations
dealing with contemporary forms of slavery to participate in the deliberations
of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and to provide,
through the established channels of assistance, humanitarian, legal
and financial aid to individuals victims of such violations. The Fund
is administered through a Board of Trustees of five members.
At
its 9th session, in January 2004, the Board of Trustees made recommendations
for travel and project grants totaling approximately US$180,700 to
be disbursed in 2004. Taking into consideration the requests received
in 2004 and that the Board recommended for expenditure almost all
money available at its 9th session, in the Board's view, in order
to be able to fulfill its mandate satisfactorily, the Fund would need
an amount of US$325,000 before its 10th session scheduled to take
place from 24th to 28th of January 2005.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The
Fund is administered in accordance with the Financial Regulations and
Rules of the United Nations by the Secretary-General, with the advice
of a Board of Trustees. The mandate of the Board is to advise the Secretary-General
on the use of funds, through the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights.
The Board
is composed of five persons with relevant experience in the field of
human rights, and contemporary forms of slavery in particular, serving
in their personal capacity. The members of the Board are appointed by
the Secretary-General, in consultation with the current Chairman of
the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights,
with due regard to equitable geographical distribution, for three-year
renewable terms.
The current
five members of the Board are Swami Agnivesh, (Chairman, India), Mr.
Cheikh Saad-Bouh Kamara (Mauritania), Ms. Tatiana Matveeva (Russian
Federation), Mr. José de Souza Martins (Brazil) and Mr. Theo
van Boven (The Netherlands).
BENEFICIARIES
According
to the criteria established by the General Assembly in its resolution
46/122, the beneficiaries
of assistance from the Fund shall be: (i) representatives from non-
governmental organizations dealing with issues of contemporary forms
of slavery a) who are so considered by the Board of Trustees; b) who
would not, in the opinion of Board, be able to attend the sessions of
the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of
Slavery without the assistance provided by the Fund; c) who would
be able to contribute to a deeper knowledge on the part of the Working
Group of the problems relating to contemporary forms of slavery; (ii)
individuals whose human rights have been severely violated as a result
of contemporary forms of slavery and who are so considered by the Board.
In addition, the Board has developed other practices and guidelines
which are reflected in the application form.
For further
information on contemporary forms of slavery you may wish to consult
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/3
and E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/3/Add.1
THE GRANTS APPROVAL CYCLE
Application
forms for travel and project
grants have to be submitted by 15 September 2004 for analysis
by the secretariat of the Fund. Admissible applications are examined
by the Board of Trustees at its annual session in January/February.
The Board adopts recommendations for approval of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights on behalf of the Secretary-General. The grants are
paid in March/April. Beneficiaries have to provide satisfactory narrative
and financial reports on the use of project grants. Until satisfactory
reports on the use of previous grants are received, no new grant can
be considered.
NINTH SESSION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The
ninth session of the Board of Trustees was held at the Palais Wilson
in Geneva from 26 to 30 January 2004.
The Board
considered 31 applications for travel grants to allow representatives
of non-governmental organizations to attend the 29th session of the
Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and 49 applications for
project grants.
After having examined the applications in the light of the established
criteria, the Board recommended that approximately US$30,000 be spent
for 9 new travel grants. All travel grants
have to be released before the next session of the Working Group on
Contemporary Forms of Slavery, to be held from 28 June to 2 July 2004.
Also the
Board recommended the payment of US$150,700 for 20
project grants to be distributed before its tenth session, scheduled
to be held in January 2005.
The Board
held its annual meeting with regular and new donor Governments and other
Governments interested. At that meeting frank and useful exchanges of
views took place. The Board encouraged greater participation of representatives
in future meetings.
The Board
also met with the Chief of the RRDB Branch and the OHCHR Administration
to discuss the developments in the UN system concerning Trust Funds
within the context of the Secretary-General's report "Strengthening
of the United Nations: an agenda for further change" (A/57/387
and Corr.1). In this respect, the Board was called to contribute to
the discussions on the future of the Funds. The Board was also briefed
by the Resource Mobilization Unit on OHCHR's fund raising policy. Under
the agenda item devoted to the developments in the UN system concerning
relevant mandates, the Board heard presentations concerning the OHCHR
trafficking project and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children,
child prostitution and pornography. A member from UNESCO Paris addressed
the Board and provided information on the activities concerning the
International Year to commemorate the struggle against slavery and its
abolition proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 57/195
of 18 December 2002. The representative of UNESCO expressed interest
in a future collaboration between the Board and Fund and his organization.
On 30 January,
the Chairman of the Board attended a press conference at the United
Nations Office in Geneva to brief the media representatives on the activities
of the Fund and on the situation of contemporary forms of slavery in
the world. The Board welcomed the interest expressed by the media on
the Fund.
All the
recommendations adopted by the Board of Trustees at its 9th session
have been approved by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on behalf
of the Secretary-General on 23 February 2004.
REPORTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FUND
The
Secretary-General reports annually to the General Assembly and the Commission
on Human Rights on the activities of the Fund and of its Board of Trustees.
The latest
reports by the Secretary-General were those to the General Assembly
(A/58/306)
and to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2004/78)
and (E/CN.4/2004/78/Add.1).
CONTRIBUTIONS
According
to resolution 46/122, the Fund can receive contributions from Governments,
non-governmental organizations and other private or public entities.
Contributions
received from 20 April 1993 to 25 April 2004
CONTACTS
For
further information about the Fund can be obtained from the Secretariat
of the Fund and Board.
Please contact Ms. Eulàlia Ortadó or Ms. Aida Nejad,
PW 2-041
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Research and Right to development Branch/Indigenous and Minorities
Unit
United Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.
Tel. (41-22) 917 9145 or 917 9164/Fax (41-22) 917 9066
Email: eortado-rosich@ohchr.org
/anejad@ohchr.org/ emonsalve@ohchr.org
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUND
Governments,
non-governmental organizations and other private or public entities
can contribute to the Fund. For information on how to contribute, you
are kindly requested to contact the secretariat of the Fund.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 46/122 OF 17 DECEMBER 1991
The
General Assembly,
Recalling Econmic and Social Council decisions 16 (LVI) and 17 (LVI) of
17 May 1974, by which it authorized the Subcommission
on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities to establish a Working Group on Slavery,
renamed the Working Group on contemporary Forms
of Slavery by the Commission on Human Rights in
its resolution 1988/42 of 3 March 1988.
Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution
1991/58 of 6 march 1991, on the report of the Working
Group.
Taking note also of Economic and Social Council
resolution 1991/34 of 31 May 1991, by which it requested
the General Assembly to establish a voluntary fund
on contemporary forms of slavery.
Gravely concerned that slavery, the slave trade,
slavery-like practices and even modern manifestations
of this phenomenon still exist, representing some
of the gravest violations of human rights.
Convinced that the establishment of a voluntary
trust fund on contemporary forms of slavery would
constitute a significant development for the protection
of the human rights of victims of contemporary forms
of slavery,
1. Decides to establish a voluntary trust fund on
contemporary forms of slavery in accordance with
the following criteria:
(a) The name of the fund shall be the United Nations
Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;
(b) The purposes of the Fund shall be, first, to
assist representatives of non-governmental organizations
from different regions, dealing with issues of contemporary
forms of slavery, to participate in the deliberations
of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
by providing them with financial assistance and,
secondly, to extend, through established channels
of assistance, humanitarian, legal and financial
aid to individuals whose human rights have been
severely violated as a result of contemporary forms
of slavery;
(c) Funding shall be obtained by means of voluntary
contributions from governments, non-governmental
organizations and other private or public entities:
(d) The only types of activity to be supported by
the Fund shall be those described in subparagraph
(b) above:
(e) The only beneficiaries from the Fund shall be:
(I) Representatives from non-governmental organizations
dealing with issues of contemporary forms of slavery:
a. Who are so considered by the Board of Trustees
of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary
Forms of Slavery, described in subparagraph (f)
below;
b. Who would not, in the opinion of the Board of
Trustees, be able to attend the sessions of the
Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery without
the assistance provided by the Fund;
c. Who would be able to contribute to a deeper knowledge
on the part of the Working Group of the problems
relating to contemporary forms of slavery;
(ii) Individuals whose human rights have been severely
violated as a result of contemporary forms of slavery
and who are so considered by the Board of Trustees;
(f) The Fund shall be administered in accordance
with the Financial Regulations Rules of the United
Nations and other relevant provisions, with the
advice of a Board of Trustees composed of five persons
with relevant experience in the field of human rights
and contemporary forms of slavery in particular,
who will serve in their personal capacity; the members
of the Board of Trustees shall be appointed by the
Secretary-General for a three-year renewable term,
in consultation with the current Chairman of the
Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities and with due regard to
equitable geographical distribution;
2. Appeals to all Governments to respond favorably
to requests for contributions to the Fund.
75th plenary meeting
17 December 1991
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