About

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to increase basic access to justice in rural regions and for vulnerable populations throughout the Central African Republic.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives

• The overarching goal of this cooperative agreement is The CAR Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with civil society organizations, provides access to basic forms of justice for remote and vulnerable populations in CAR that will deter and sanction criminality and protect victims’ rights. The project will build upon previous engagements in CAR’s provincial regions by maintaining existing legal footprints and expanding legal access networks to other regions through mobile teams, where and when possible as the security situation permits. The project further seeks to provide technical support to Central African justice sector actors to strengthen their capacity to operate effectively in CAR’s provinces.

• To achieve this goal, INL has established the following project objectives for the selected recipient: 

  • The CAR Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with civil society organizations, and with support of the selected recipient, maintains, and as necessary establishes a network of legal centers across CAR to provide legal guidance to CAR citizens. 

  • Legal centers establish effective justice access measures that can address cases of conflict violence, armed group violence, SGBV, and other serious crimes.

  • Legal centers establish effective justice access measures that can address minor felonies and crimes and provide civil litigation. 

  • Legal centers, with support of the selected recipient, assist justice officials and community leaders to improve coordination and collaboration to respond to cases of conflict violence, armed group violence, SGBV, and other serious crimes.

  • Legal centers establish mobile teams that provide justice support and guidance to vulnerable populations, SGBV survivors, and victims of crimes perpetrated by armed groups and criminal gangs to reach additional communities where distance and poverty prevent travel to the legal centers.

  • Local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the target areas, with support of the selected recipient, educate CAR citizens on their legal rights, the justice process, and the cost of SGBV and other human rights violations to local communities notably through public awareness and media campaigns; and, 

  • By the end of award, legal centers are fully autonomous either independently, through the support of CSOs, the state, or a hybrid partnership.

Funding Information

• Total available funding: $2 Million

• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $1,000,000 to a maximum of $2,000,000 U.S. Dollars 

• Length of performance period: 24 to 36 months 

• Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2024 

• Number of awards anticipated: 1-2 awards (dependent on amounts) 

Project Activities and Deliverables

• Pending funding availability, this project seeks to continue INL’s efforts to provide legal access to remote and vulnerable populations, with an emphasis on justice support for victims of armed group violence and SGBV through the following activities:

  • Maintain and Establish Legal centers (Objective 1): The project shall continue the operation of the existing network of legal centers while working towards the centers being fully independent and sustainable by the end of the award. Where appropriate and feasible other center(s) are to be established. The centers shall: 

    • provide legal guidance and advice to CAR citizens and facilitate access to justice. This project shall build the capacity of local bar associations and other CSOs to provide legal services to CAR citizens and facilitate their access to justice. Given that the bulk of CAR attorneys are residing in Bangui, the project shall seek to promote their diffusion to other cities and communities in the country, and train them in the skills necessary. The bar associations and CSOs may need training in addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, SGBV survivors, and victims of armed groups and criminal gangs. An end goal of the project will be for the legal centers to operate independent of INL funding and provide sustainable and reliable legal services to rural communities. CSOs will work to develop the capacity to assist in sustaining ongoing activities of the legal aid centers. 

    • support to vulnerable populations, SGBV survivors, and victims of armed groups and criminal gangs. 

    • collaborate with the ministry of justice, national and local judicial, law enforcement, and corrections officials, and partner CSOs to ensure transparent judicial proceedings; and 

    • build relationships with local medical service providers when treatment is needed particularly with SGBV survivors and vulnerable populations. Each center shall be staffed with a staff attorney and a staff psychologist (to provide holistic care to crime victims), and a small group of community- based paralegals, who will serve as primary points of contact for community members in need of justice. Clinics should be capable of self-sustaining and paying staff by the end of the project. 

  • Justice Access Measures and Case Coordination (Objectives 2, 3 and 4): The project shall be implemented following a diagnosis of each jurisdiction covered, in conjunction with the CAR Ministry of Justice, and its issues to mitigate hurdles to access to justice. 

  • It shall provide for short term solutions and best practices adopted with by the national counterparts and for an action plan. 

    • This could comprehend quotas for certain type of files at each court hearings; actions of mass court hearings on certain topics, or in certain jurisdictions to address backlog of cases: working on accessible bulletin board, developing a better liaison in between actors of the penal chain etc. 

    • The project will also work with the legal centers to empower them to become a key element in the improvement of the offer of justice by supporting justice officials and community leaders.

  • Mobile Teams (Objective 5): The project shall support mobile teams backed by legal centers or local CSO or NGOs when it is not possible to provide guidance and support to those needing assistance, such as vulnerable populations, SGBV survivors, and victims of crimes perpetrated by armed groups and criminal gangs. The mobile teams will extend the reach of the rule of law and the legal centers, reaching additional communities where distance and poverty prevent travel to the centers, as well as for areas of the country that are otherwise poorly served by the existing condition/state of CAR’s government criminal justice institutions. 

  • Public Awareness and Media Outreach (Objective 6): The project shall conduct a public awareness and media outreach campaign that include a public education component through multiple forms of media, including in-person presentations, billboards, pamphlets, radio show, etc. Public awareness efforts must carefully consider that radio and word-of-mouth are the two primary media in CAR. Topics may include: 

    • available services for SGBV survivors and victims of other serious crimes.

    • the life/trajectory of a case in court. 

    • how the court or judicial sector operates. 

    • an individual’s rights during legal proceedings; and 

    • international human rights and rights afforded by the CAR constitution. 

Participants and Audiences

• The target recipients of this project will include rural communities, including local justice forums and community leadership, and members of civil society. The selected applicant will work in close coordination with INL throughout the duration of the project. The selected applicant should coordinate closely with CAR MOJ on all activities, especially media events and communications. Applicants should describe how they will ensure equitable (and safe) inclusion, using participatory, locally led, and intersectional approaches, as appropriate.

Priority Region/Country

• Central African Republic

Eligibility

• The following organizations are eligible to apply: 

  • U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 

  • U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the US 115 of the U.S. tax code. 

  • Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 

  • Foreign-based educational institutions. 

• Applicants must also meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO: 

  • Applicants must demonstrate business registration in the Central African Republic

Post Date: June 10, 2024