At the 2005 World Summit held at the United Nations in New York, Heads of State and
Government reaffirmed their commitment to promote democracy and human rights, by
welcoming the establishment of a Democracy Fund at the United Nations, herein referred to as
UNDEF.
UNDEF is a Trust Fund established through voluntary contributions from Member States, under the authority of the Secretary-General. UNDEF is guided by its Advisory Board, which includes representatives of Member States, eminent academics and global civil society leaders. Thus, participation in the activities of UNDEF bestows prestige to all its stakeholders and signifies for its beneficiaries a high level of political commitment to democratic values.
UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and
encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. The large majority of UNDEF
funds go to local civil society organizations -- both in the transition and consolidation phases of
democratization. In this way, UNDEF plays a novel and unique role in complementing the UN's
other, more traditional work -- the work with Governments -- to strengthen democratic
governance around the world.
UNDEF-funded projects will be implemented over a period of two years, principally at country
level and in least developed, low or middle income countries. UNDEF also provides discrete
funding to a number of regional and global projects promoting democracy.