Program Contribution to the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR)

SDC has been contributing to ICHR since 2002 through a Joint Financing Arrangement that harmonizes the contributions of a five member donors’ consortium that also includes representatives from Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, each making an equal contribution. However, since 2008, the PA has contributed 5% of ICHR’s funding from its own budget, with the consortium continuing to contribute the remainder.

The project in brief

Background	Volatile conditions in the oPt linked to continuous situation of occupation and contested peace process. Violations of human rights by all duty bearers. No tangible Palestinian reconciliation on the horizon and rather worsening changes on the ground. These challenges have negative impacts on the status of human rights and on ICHR’s working environment itself.
Objectives	To protect and promote human rights in accordance with the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights law, applying a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA).
Target groups	Palestinian authorities, Legislative Council members, civil institutions (courts), security agencies & Palestinian victims of human rights violations in the oPt
Medium-term outcomes	Promotion of a human rights culture in the Palestinian society; Enhancement of the justice systems in accordance with international human rights standards; Promotion of international mechanisms for the defense of human rights; Development of institutional performance of ICHR as a national institution covering the whole of the oPt including the Gaza Strip, thereby contributing to maintaining the unity of the Palestinian territory despite the political split
Results	Results from previous phases:   ICHR consolidated its position as the main national institution in defence of human rights of citizens, building a reputation of credibility and independence despite the increasingly “repressive” (police State). ICHR core functions were enhanced especially in the fields of monitoring, reporting and effective interventions (including legal interventions), as illustrated by the important judicial precedent obtained by ICHR’s successful litigation at the Palestinian High Court (which led to the cancellation of the security clearance policy by the Palestinian Authority and to the return of 720 dismissed public civil servants to their work). ICHR maintained its independence and operations all over the oPt, as well as its international standing, as illustrated by its membership with (A) status at the ICC of National HR Institutions
Directorate/federal office responsible	SDC
Credit area	Development cooperation
Project partners	Contract partner Foreign state institution Sub-National State SouthEast
Coordination with other projects and actors	HR/IHL Secretariat CSOs partners & donors, Diakonia, OHCHR, AIDA, PA ministries relevant to ICHR programs and humanitarian actors relevant to ICHR work as need arise
Budget	Current phase Swiss budget CHF    1’405’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    1’729’745
Project phases	Phase 7 01.03.2020 - 31.12.2022   (Completed) Phase 6 01.04.2017 - 31.12.2019   (Completed) Phase 5 01.01.2014 - 31.03.2017   (Completed) Phase 4 01.07.2011 - 31.12.2013   (Completed)

Further technical details

• Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation	GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY COMMUNICATIONS GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
  Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation	Human rights Media and free flow of information Information and communication technology (ICT) Human rights
  Cross-cutting topics	The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
  Aid Type	Core contribution
  Project number	7F02042