Secretariat Holds Successful Launch Event in

Jericho, Palestine

Secretariat Newsletter

April 2014 Issue One

Launch Event (cont’d)/

Meetings with Stakehold-

ers/Project Funding

2

The Secretariat’s Incep-

tion Phase, including

Strategy/Work thus Far

3

Core Funding Application

Process and List of Grant-

ees/Events

4

CONTENTS

The Human Rights (HR) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Secretariat (Secretariat) successfully held its “Launch Event” on 26 March 2014 in Jericho, Pal-estine. The Secretariat is a joint donor programme sponsored by Sweden (lead donor), Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The objective of the pro-gramme is that “[a] HR/IHL Secretariat is institutionalized in the CSO (civil society organisation) environment and considered a key player and resourceful partner in the promotion of HR and IHL issues in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).”*

The event was attended by the Secretari-at, representatives of the Donor Consorti-um (from the Consulate General of Swe-den, Netherlands Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority, Royal Danish Representative Office and the Swiss Agen-cy for Development and Cooperation), the Managing Partners (NIRAS Natura AB and Institute of Law at Birzeit University) and 21 of the 24 core funding grantees. Rep-

resentatives of Mezan and Al Dameer in Gaza were unable to attend due to the rejection of their permit requests by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Welcome remarks were provided by: Dr. Mustafa Mari, Secretariat Manager; Stina Mossberg, Managing Director, NIRAS Natura AB; Johanna Strömquist, Swedish Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem; and Ambassador Martin Dahinden, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation). Dr. Mustafa Mari thanked the Secretariat team, donors and partner CSOs for their work while high-lighting the difficulties faced by the Pales-tinian people and the need for supporting the human rights and international hu-manitarian law CSO sector, while remind-ing the audience of the apartheid-like real-ities that duty-bearers must address. Ms. Stina Mossberg thanked the donors for their continuous support to CSOs over the years in facing the difficulties of their work. The representatives of Sweden and

Cont’d on page 2

Online Presence:

Website:

www.RIGHTSecretariat.ps. Visit

our website to submit human

rights and IHL materials to our

Portal and to submit posts

(and cross-posts) to our Com-

munity of Practice.

Facebook:

www.Facebook.com/

HRIHLSecretariat

Twitter: @HRIHLPalestine

Instagram: @HRIHLPalestine

Contact Us:

For questions, comments and

suggestions, contact the Secre-

tariat via Email at in-

fo@RIGHTSecretariat.ps or via

telephone at 02 297 4563/4

(Bireh), 08 288 3115 (Gaza City).

Participants listen to the presentation of the opening session by the Secretariat, NIRAS Natura

AB, the Swedish Consul General in Jerusalem and the Swiss Agency for Development and Coop-

eration. Credit: Secretariat.

*The use of the term “occupied Palestinian territory” refers to the whole of the

geographic area of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

Secretariat Launch Event (cont’d from page 1)

Switzerland extended thanks to the part-ner CSOs, Managing Partner and the Sec-retariat. Ambassador Dahinden thanked Sweden for the exceptional leadership role provided thus far. The Secretariat provided a presentation on its inception phase, along with a presentation on its

online presence and upcoming events for CSO partners and donors.

The 24 core funding grantees were then announced and introduced. Afterwards, an open discussion was held with CSO partners on topics such as complementa-

rity between project and core funding, thematic considerations (in HR and IHL) for the upcoming project funding cycle, as well as other relevant issues. Themes raised by CSOs included, but were not limited to: human rights education, women, youth, torture and rehabilita-tion, culture and arts, support to human rights defenders and support to commu-nity-based organisations and medium-sized CSOs. CSOs and donors also en-gaged in discussion about the policy dia-logue and how CSOs see this as a means of influencing duty-bearers and seeking donor action at the international level—both in their respective capitals and in international organisations—in a way which complements the support provid-ed through the Secretariat.

As a result of the Secretariat’s prequalifi-cation phase and call for proposals, the Secretariat allocated a total of 10.48 mil-lion USD to the 24 partner CSOs over a period of three years. The Secretariat’s fund in support of human rights CSOs operating in the oPt totals around 12.98 million USD, with around 2.5 million USD allocated to project funding.

Ambassador Martin Dahinden, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Coopera-

tion) addresses CSO partners at the Secretariat Launch Event (to the left: Johanna Strömquist,

Swedish Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem; Stina Mossberg, Managing Director, Niras Natu-

ra AB; and Dr. Mustafa Mari, Secretariat Manager. Credit: Secretariat.

April 2014 Issue One

Photo: Secretariat consultative meeting with the Palestinian Independent

Commission for Human Rights in Gaza City, Palestine in February 2014. The

Secretariat has held a wide range of meetings with development partners and

other important stakeholders such as the ICHR, UNDP-PAPP, UN OHCHR and

Diakonia. These meetings have been held to ensure complementarity be-

tween the work of the Secretariat and its partners.

Secretariat consultative meeting with the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human

Rights in Gaza City, Palestine in February 2014. Credit: Secretariat.

The Secretariat released its call for pro-

posals for the project funding cycle on

20 April 2014. The Secretariat has an-

nounced the call widely and will be

open to all relevant and interested

CSOs operating actively in the occupied

Palestinian territory. The call is now

published on the Secretariat's website

as well as a number of select Palestinian

newspapers and websites.

See: http://www.rightsecretariat.ps/

events/104-call-for-proposals-for-

project-funding.

Secretariat Meetings with Partners The Secretariat has held a number of meetings with development partners and

other stakeholders such as the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human

Rights (ICHR), UNDP-PAPP, UN OHCHR and Diakonia. These meetings have been

held to ensure complementarity between the Secretariat’s work and its partners,

occurring on a regular basis around the Secretariat’s funding cycles.

Call for Proposals

for Project Funding

Secretariat Concludes its Inception Phase

April 2014 Issue One

The Secretariat’s ‘Inception Phase’ was

successfully completed in January 2014.

The Secretariat was tasked with fulfilling

a number of tasks within its programme

objective and three components.

During the phase, the Secretariat’s

achievements included: staffing; office

rent and procurements; orientation

workshops; an Operations Manual; a

Strategy based on a human rights based

approach (HRBA); draft Communication

Strategy; formation of a Reference

Group; and identity and other materials.

The first

component

of the Secre-

tariat is

‘Fund Man-

agement.’

The objec-

tive and

purpose of

this compo-

nent is “[a]n

effective

fund for the

promotion

of HR and

IHL issues in the oPt, which is transpar-

ent, reduces corruption and duplication.”

Achievements in this component includ-

ed: a Fund Management Manual; criteria

developed for core and project funding;

completed prequalification process; call

for proposals for core funding; three

workshops with CSO partners; and a

completed evaluation process (followed

by the selection of grantees ).

The Second component of the Secretari-

at is ‘Capacity Building Support.’ The ob-

jective and purpose of this component is

a “[s]trengthened CSO environment,

internal efficiency, effective participation

in democratic processes and improved

performance.” Achievements in this

component included: a capacity assess-

ment, CSO facilitation and accompani-

ment activities by Secretariat staff; devel-

opment of a Participatory Organisational

Capacity Assessment Tool (POCAT); and

an M&E Plan.

The third component of the Secretariat is

‘Policy Dialogue.’ The objective of this

component is that “[t]he Secretariat

makes meaningful contributions to policy

development in the sector through evi-

dence-based measures and an effective

IMS against the monitoring of services

and participates in the policy dialogue

with donors and other sector stakehold-

ers.” Achievements in this component

included: a sector scoping; identification

of several policy dialogue platforms to

bring together key stakeholders; and the

development of the Secretariat’s physical

and virtual mechanisms (including the

Portal and Community of Practice).

Strategy Development Workshop held in the Palestinian Centre for Human

Rights in Gaza City, Palestine in November 2013. During November 2013, the

Secretariat carried out three participatory workshops with a total of 56 CSOs

operating in the oPT (15 in Ar-Ram, 30 in Birzeit, 11 in Gaza City) – working

mostly on HR, peace and democracy. Credit: Secretariat.

During the inception phase, the Secretariat held the follow-

ing activities: three focus group meetings in September in E.

Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza City; Strategy Development

Workshops in November in Ar-Ram, Birzeit and Gaza City;

Call for Proposals Workshops in January in E. Jerusalem, El-

Bireh and Gaza City.

The Secretariat’s materials include the following: a Strategy;

Scoping and Capacity Assessment Study; Fund Management

Manual; and Factsheet. With respect to the Newsletter,

future issues will focus not only on the Secretariat’s activi-

ties, but also on the work of our CSO partners.

Fredrik Westerholm of the Consulate General of Sweden (left) speak-

ing during a donor consortium meeting, following the Strategy Devel-

opment Workshop in Birzeit. Credit: Secretariat.

Activities and Materials

The Human Rights and International Humanitari-an Law Secretariat is deeply appreciative of the generous support provided by the donor consorti-um of Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the Secretariat’s donors.

Royal Danish Representative Office

Netherlands Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority

Core Funding Application Process and List of Grantees The Secretariat identified a

total of 24 CSOs as a result of a

rigorous and thorough applica-

tion process for core funding.

The Secretariat launched its

call for proposals on 29 De-

cember 2013, receiving 72

applications—35 of which

were prequalified. Information

workshops were held in three

locations (Jerusalem, Gaza City

and El-Bireh). During this time,

the Secretariat also conducted a POCAT with prequalified CSOs to assess their capacity building needs and construct their ca-

pacity development plans (although this process was independent of the application process). All 35 CSOs submitted their full

applications by 9 February 2014.

Core funding grantees include: Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel; Addameer Prisoner Support and

Human Rights Association; Al Dameer Association for Human Rights; Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights; Al-Haq; B’Tselem –

The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories; BADIL – Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency

and Refugee Rights; Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights; Breaking the Silence; Defence for Children International – Palestine

Section; Democracy and Workers’ Rights Centre in Palestine; Gisha – Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement; HaMoked – Cen-

tre for the Defence of the Individual; Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; Palestinian Working Women Society for Develop-

ment; Physicians for Human Rights – Israel; Public Committee Against Torture in Israel; Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights

Centre; MIFTAH – Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy; Women’s Affairs Technical Com-

mittee; Women’s Studies Centre; Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling; Women’s Affairs Centre; and Yesh Din – Vol-

unteers for Human Rights.

Mahmoud Musleh, FM, presents prequalified CSOs on the call for proposals in the Palestinian Red Cres-

cent Society in Al-Bireh. Credit: Secretariat.

April 2014 Issue One

Upcoming Events for CSOs and other Partners May: Release of the Secretariat’s Capacity Building Plan for CSOs

June: Peer learning and sharing events for CSO partners

June: Policy platform events with the solicitation of stakeholder contributions on the policy dialogue process followed by a diagnostic analysis prepared by the Secretariat drawing from CSO contributions

August: Announcement of the results of project funding call for proposals

August: Capacity development trainings for CSOs

December: Review of the Secretariat Strategy (including Scoping and Capacity Assessment Study) and Results Framework