Gender Report Card on the International Criminal ... - YWCA Canada

Structures & Institutional Development Recommendations
Trust Fund for Victims
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The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) should urgently develop a fundraising strategy and embark
on a vigorous campaign to mobilise resources. Such a campaign should consider: retaining
current donors; attracting new donors amongst States Parties; reaching out to non States
Parties who may wish to engage with the Court through the Trust Fund; encouraging both cash
and in-kind donations; developing a specific strategy with the private sector; implementing a
scheme for individual donors; and launching more targeted donor appeals. The total amount of
funds available in the TFV’s Euro bank accounts as of 30 June 2011 was €3,491,210.83, 277 around
€300,000 less than in 2010. From the beginning of the Fund in 2004, 28 countries have donated
to the TFV. 278 According to the Secretariat of the Trust Fund for Victims, State contributions
received between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011 amounted to €1,943,113.99, 279 which represents
a slight increase from last year when contributions received amounted to €1,826,043.16.
The Fund received a total of €1,740,000 as earmarked contributions in response to the appeal
launched in September 2008 for victims of sexual violence, with Norway being the largest
contributor to sexual and gender-based violence initiatives with €698,400 donated since the
appeal was launched. Considering 2011 is the last year of the three-year appeal, the objective
of reaching €10 million in earmarked contributions will most likely not be achieved. The appeal
should therefore be renewed for a further three-year period. The Board of the Trust Fund and
the Secretariat should establish effective fundraising strategies for the Trust Fund as a matter
of urgency. Through the promotion of the Trust Fund and raising global awareness of the
challenges faced by victims of war and armed conflict, the Secretariat should aim to ‘leverage’
other resources in support of the special appeal for victims of sexual violence.
The ASP must provide sufficient core funds for the operational budget of the Trust Fund and
not require the TFV to utilise voluntary contributions to cover institutional overhead and
administrative costs. Sufficient resources for the TFV are vital for providing support to victims,
ensuring its stability as a structure and inspiring further contributions from a variety of public
and private sector sources.
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In addition to the criteria for the ‘special vulnerability of women and girls’ 280 to be addressed
in projects, the Secretariat should adopt proactive strategies to solicit proposals explicitly
from women’s groups and organisations. Benchmarks could be established to ensure that
applications from women’s organisations, for the purpose of benefiting women victims/
survivors, are between 45%-55% of the overall number of proposals received and funded.
The engagement of local women’s organisations with TF intermediaries could be further
encouraged by their inclusion in capacity building initiatives to enhance their ability to be
prospective partners with the TFV in the future.
277 Figures as of 30 June 2011. Email communication with the Secretariat of the Trust Fund for Victims, 18 October 2011. Please note
that this amount includes €1,000,000 as reserves to supplement orders for reparations from the Court; and €600,000 for the
sexual and gender-based violence programme in CAR.
278 Reviewing Rehabilitation Assistance and Preparing for Delivering Reparations, Programme Progress <strong>Report</strong>, Summer 2011, p 35.
279 Figures as of 30 June 2011. Email communication with the Secretariat of the Trust Fund for Victims, 18 October 2011.
280 Trust Fund for Victims Global Strategic Plan 2008-2011, Version 1, August 2008, p 16.
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