UNDEF's grants and India

UNDEF's grants and India

 

  1. What is the UN Democracy Fund and when was it launched? Answer: The UN Democracy Fund is a fund launched in 2005 on the sidelines of the India-US nuclear cooperation deal, with the aim of spreading democratic ideals across the world.

  2. Who were the prime movers behind the UN Democracy Fund? Answer: India and the US were the prime movers behind the UN Democracy Fund.

  3. Who is George Soros and what is his connection to the UN Democracy Fund? Answer: George Soros is a philanthropist and billionaire who has been linked to some NGOs that receive grants from the UN Democracy Fund. In 2016, India put Soros's Open Society Foundations on a watchlist.

  4. What is India's stance on giving grants to NGOs funded by George Soros through the UN Democracy Fund? Answer: India, a founding member of UNDEF, has no objections to the Fund giving grants to NGOs funded by George Soros, while he is put on the watchlist in India underlining a contradiction that’s not new.

  5. How does the Modi government's high-table diplomacy differ from its domestic political ideology? Answer: The imperatives of the Modi government's high-table diplomacy and its domestic political ideology diverge noticeably, requiring Delhi to deploy a soft touch in the former while playing hardball at home for domestic audiences.

  6. How is the Advisory Board of the UN Democracy Fund constituted? Answer: The Advisory Board of the UN Democracy Fund is constituted by the Secretary-General and includes eight largest Member State contributors and six other states to reflect diverse geographical representation, including one "small island" and developing states. It also has two individual members and two CSOs.

  7. How does UNDEF decide which NGOs to give grants to? Answer: Each year, UNDEF solicits and receives up to 3,000 proposals from NGOs around the world. An Advisory Board considers these proposals and recommends proposals for approval by the Secretary-General. Between 30 to 50 are chosen every year. In 15 Rounds of Funding so far, UNDEF has supported over 880 two-year projects in more than 130 countries, according to the Fund's website.

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