The Human Rights and Democracy programme is part of the Strategic Programme Fund (SPF).  By focussing one strand wholly on Human Rights and Democracy, the FCO expects to bring a more strategic and effective approach to its Human Rights project work. The overall objectives of the Human Rights and Democracy programme are:

• to promote human rights through contributing to progress on strengthening national and international human rights institutions, criminal justice, equality and abolition of the death penalty; and
• to support democratic governance and accountability processes

THE KEY HUMAN RIGHTS THEMES ARE:

• to strengthen the effectiveness of the international system to promote and protect human rights

Objective: To strengthen international, regional and national human rights mechanisms.
The United Nations is the key international body for monitoring compliance with existing human rights standards, especially through the work of the treaty monitoring bodies, and for elaborating new ones. Regional organisations play an important role in providing a framework that can complement and reinforce the UN and provide guidance for National Human Rights Institutions. We want to preserve a strong role for NGOs and national human rights institutions within UN human rights bodies and mechanisms, including through the new universal periodic review mechanism.We also want to encourage the establishment of independent human rights protection mechanisms like Ombudsmen, National Human Rights Commissions, that help to promote and protect human rights defenders. While these operate at a national level, we want to encourage their links to regional and international human rights bodies.
Indicators:
- increased effectiveness of national, regional and international human rights institutions and instruments throughbetter implementation of recommendations of relevant international committees and Special Rapporteurs
- increased participation in and monitoring of international human rights mechanisms by civil society and media

• to improve criminal justice systems

Objective: To increase the ability of criminal justice systems to operate according to international human rights standards.
Criminal justice is essential to ensuring fair trials and to combating torture, two key human rights objectives. As so many abuses of human rights occur pre- and post-trial, encouraging legal reform and focusing the compliance of police and prison systems with international standards will have the most direct impact. There is never a justification for torture and the programme aims to develop legislation to reduce the incidences of torture. The main focus of the work is related to implementation of the standards contained in the Convention Against Torture and the associated Optional Protocol.
Indicators
- increased observance of international human rights standards in prisons and legal systems
- increased police compliance with international human rights standards in detention and investigating techniques
- improved ability of judiciary and lawyers to uphold international human rights standards and tackle impunity

• to ensure the equality of women, ethnic and national minorities and disabled people before the law
  

Objective: To address the structural causes to ensure equality of women, ethnic and national minorities and disabled people before the law (and their participation in public and political life) in accordance with international conventions.
Promoting the rights of women, minorities and disabled people is a UK foreign policy priority. By supporting implementation of relevant UN conventions and other international standards, and strengthening compliance with recommendations made by UN treaty monitoring bodies and Special Procedures, national frameworks will be better equipped to prevent discrimination. Ratification of the Disability Rights Convention will allow its entry into force.
Indicators
Discriminatory laws reformed or removed, and better legislation and national institutions developed in line with regional and global commitments, and recommendations from respective treaty monitoring bodies, Special Procedures and regional institutions.More countries ratify the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities to allow its entry into force and then implement the convention.

See also Woman SPF projects. What we are looking for. 

• to abolish the Death Penalty
  

Objective: To contribute to the abolition of the death penalty in at least one country every year, leading to universal abolition.
The UK, with EU colleagues, takes a strong stance against the death penalty, wherever it is used. The UK will support the reduction in its use, as well as moves towards abolition where this is feasible.
Indicators
Greater transparency in the application of the death penalty (including trial procedures) and debate between policy makers regarding its effectiveness and alternatives.Legislative, procedural, constitutional or policy amendments leading to a reduction in the number of offences to which the DP applies, or no of sentences imposed.Governments enabled to ratify the 2nd optional protocol or have greater adherence to international standards and principles in relation to the death penalty.

THE KEY DEMOCRACY THEMES ARE:

• to provide support for electoral processes through effective international electoral observations missions and the implementation of their recommendations
  

Objective: To improve electoral processes
Elections play a key role in determining the democratic legitimacy of a government. International election monitoring frequently identifies recommended improvements to make future elections freer and fairer. Implementing such recommendations will lay the foundations for a better election process. The increased participation of women and other under-represented groups - whether as candidates or voters - will improve democracy as well as contribute to wider UK policy goals.
Indicators
More transparent, independent and fair electoral procedures including implementation of recommendations from international electoral observation missions. Increased access for women and other under-represented groups to all stages of the electoral process, including voter registration, access to information, representation in bodies administering, monitoring and observing elections and the involvement of women in all aspects of political party operations, in particular as candidates and elected members.

• to promote freedom of expression
  

Objective: To strengthen freedom of expression and the media, and transparency in priority countries, improving their compliance with international standards.
Freedom of expression is one of the FCO's key human rights priorities as it is vital for transparent and accountable systems of Government, as well as free and fair election procedures. We have identified the abolition of criminal defamation, access to information and the promotion of pluralistic media environments as key components in advancing freedom of expression.
Indicators
- more states that have abolished criminal defamation laws or committed not to using them
- more freedom of information laws in line with international standards
- more pluralistic media environments, strengthened institutions able to defend, protect and act as advocates for the media and help to implement media laws, compliant with international standards

• to promote and protect civil society's role to influence, monitor and hold accountable state institutions
  

Objective: To promote and protect civil society's role to influence, monitor and hold accountable state institutions
Democracy involves a continuous dialogue between governors and the governed. To retain legitimacy and respect, elected representatives must be accountable to the public. In authoritarian regimes, civil society is able to speak on behalf of large sections of the public. Civil society also provides the seedbed for political life, ensuring that politicians are not wholly dependent on one powerful individual or party. It also has an important role in representing minorities whose voices might otherwise be drowned by larger majorities.
Indicators
- fewer structural/ institutional barriers to an independent role for civil society/ HRDs
- fetter protection for civil society/ HRDs from repressive government action
- fevelopment of a civil society/ HRD capacity to influence, monitor governments and parliaments and to hold governments to account in the most authoritarian regimes
 
If you want to ask questions about SPF (HR) or any other Embassy project programme send an e-mail to us at: hrd@britishembassy.ru