EU announces additional €119.5 million support to democracy and human rights for 2021
September 21, 2021

EU announces additional €119.5 million support to democracy and human rights for 2021


Following the 2021 International Democracy Week, the European Union has announced several actions worth €119.5 million to boost the strong European support to democracy and human rights around the world in 2021.

Around €100.8 million will be used to support local civil society organisations, democracy activists and human rights defenders in 116 partner countries, with particular attention paid to women and youth. These funds will come from the country allocations under the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI), and will be managed by EU Delegations.

The EU will also support the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the human rights pillar of the United Nations, with €4.8 million for its 2021 budget. 

The €4 million from the EU’s Human Rights Crises Facility will continue to provide rapid and confidential support to civil society organisations in some of the world’s most difficult, dangerous and unpredictable political situations, where human rights and fundamental freedoms are the most vulnerable and threatened.

The Global Campus of Human Rights, a unique network of one hundred universities, will receive €4.9 million for the academic year 2021-2022. The Global Campus was created by the EU to advance regional and global cooperation in human rights education through seven regional master’s programmes.

The 2021 Democracy Week was a series of events around the International Democracy Day under the theme ‘Stronger Together: Partnerships for supporting democracy’.

Find out more

Press release

EU Human Rights and Democracy Action Plan 2020-2024

EU Gender Action Plan III



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