INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Maputo - Status Report On Fy05 Democracy and Human

Published: Tue 19 Sep 2006 09:13 AM
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHTO #1195/01 2620913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190913Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6061
UNCLAS MAPUTO 001195
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S for HTreger
AF/RSA for MHarpole
AF/EPS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID MZ
SUBJECT: Maputo - Status Report on FY05 Democracy and Human
Rights Fund (DHRF) Projects
1. The following is Post's status report for FY 2005
Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF) projects implemented
in Mozambique. Three of the projects are ongoing. Two
others were cancelled when it became apparent that the funds
were likely to be improperly used.
-----------------------------
Ongoing FY 2005 DHRF Projects
-----------------------------
2. HR-05-656-01 FECIV: Rehabilitating and equipping a
shelter for victims of trafficking in persons
Amount Granted: $15,000
Obligated: $10,840
Balance: $4,160
Location: Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane Provinces
Status: The project was originally approved to equip a
shelter for trafficking victims and provide them with
psychological counseling, medical help and vocational
training. Another donor later funded the reconstruction
work and equipment of the shelter. FECIV informed us in
June 2006 (when the shelter opened) that it did not have the
capacity to provide the above mentioned services. After
post consulted with AF/RSA and FECIV, FECIV substituted a
revised proposal, which was approved, to use the funding to
organize seminars to raise awareness around the issue of
trafficking in persons. The revised proposal was approved
in July. The seminars will likely take place in September,
October and November 2006. Post granted this project a six-
month extension.
HR-05-656-02 FOPRONGT: Promoting civic education and
reconciliation in Tete province
Amount Granted: $18,000
Obligated: $0
Balance: $18,000
Location: Tete Province
Status: FOPRONGT was granted money to carry out a series of
seminars on civic education. They did not request funds
because they misunderstood the funding process and thought
that the service providers needed to provide the services
before being paid. Emboff spoke with the project
coordinator on August 28 and cleared up confusion about the
funding process. Post granted this project a six month
extension.
HR-05-655-03 REDE-CAME: Campaign for the drafting of a Child
Protection Law
Amount Granted: $20,000
Obligated: $4,168
Balance: $15,832
Location: Maputo
Status: REDE-CAME was supposed to develop a public awareness
campaign, develop a brochure, upgrade and maintain its
website, and host seminars and make informed legal
commentary on the draft of the new child protection law.
REDE-CAME developed the brochure and website
(http://www.redecame.org.mz/), but has not yet hosted the
seminars because of confusion about the funding process. In
August Emboff met with REDE-CAME to clarify the funding
process. Post granted this project a six month extension.
-------------------------------
Cancelled FY 2005 DHRF Projects
-------------------------------
HR-05-656-04 UNDE: Civic education and human rights campaign
in Tete
Amount Granted: $15,000
Obligated: $2,300.28 (spent and irrecoverable)
Balance: $12,699.72
To De-Obligate: $12,699.72
Location: Tete
Status: UNDE was supposed to carry out an advocacy campaign
on human rights with a view to raising awareness amongst
provincial and district authorities. Post cancelled the
project when UNDE submitted invoices for exorbitantly priced
hotel rooms and airplane flights. These expenses were not
included in the approved project budget. The UNDE project
failed because of a breakdown in communication between UNDE
headquarters in Maputo and UNDE field representatives Tete.
HR-05-656-05 Associacao Vie Belle: Teaching people about
Mozambique's New Family Law
Amount Granted: $8,000
Obligated: $3562.64 ($1,012.64 spent, $2,500 cancelled)
Balance: $4,438
To De-Obligate: $6,938 (amount cancelled plus balance)
Location: Maputo Province
Status: Post cancelled this project when the project
director was found also to be running Girafa, the publicity
and printing company that submitted the lowest bids to
supply many of the project's materials. The conflict of
interest problem in the Associacao Vie Belle project was
only uncovered when invoices were submitted.
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Comment
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3. Post has redoubled its efforts to ensure that recipients
of DHRF grants fully understand the necessary procedures for
disbursing funds. The four recipients of 2006 DHRF grants
all understand when invoices are required and how funding is
disbursed, and consequently Post does not expect future
delays such as occurred with two of the three ongoing 2005
DHRF projects. Meanwhile we will increase our monitoring of
the three 2005 projects, despite being very shortstaffed at
present, to ensure that they proceed smoothly to completion.
Raspolic
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