USAID CBJ FY 2002: Peru

Summary: Strengthening Peru's democracy requires increased citizen participation in decision making and greater government responsiveness to citizens' needs and wishes. USAID's democracy activities target individuals and community groups previously excluded from access to fair and equitable decision making, including indigenous groups, women, minorities and the poor, and helps to strengthen key democratic institutions. Activities further key commitments made at the Summit of the Americas (e.g., support for democracy and human rights, education for democracy, rights of women and indigenous populations, strengthening of civil society, municipal and regional administrations, and anti-corruption). The activities also contribute to the agency goal of strengthening democracy and good governance, and the Mission Performance Plan (MPP) goal of fostering broad recognition in Peru of the need for strong, autonomous democratic institutions and increased respect for human rights.

Key Results: USAID's successful performance in the area of electoral participation was reflected in the success of efforts to draw Peruvians from around the country into pre-election civic participation and in the significantly increased percentage of valid votes cast during the first round of presidential elections in 2000 (76% vs. 61% in 1995). USAID counterparts contributed to an improvement in voter turnout between the 1995 elections and the first round of elections in 2000 as well (83% vs. 71% in 1995). Also, the percentage of Peruvians who know where to go to protect their rights increased to 82% by 1999, from 77% in 1997.

Performance and Prospects: Performance during 2000, which turned out to be a tumultuous political year, was good, but within an extremely challenging environment for democracy. USAID's efforts to strengthen civil society helped to create the conditions (specifically, raising questions about the legitimacy and credibility of President Fujimori's victory and educating citizens to protect their rights) which ultimately led to a call for new elections and President Fujimori's resignation and removal from office.

Progress has been made in terms of enhancing individual Peruvians' knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, particularly with regard to the electoral process. USAID provided assistance to local civil society organizations in support of free, fair, and transparent elections encouraging maximum, informed voter participation during the 2000 elections. As a result, citizen awareness about the importance of participating in elections increased, reaching more than 50% of the electorate. During the election, the USAID-supported local non-governmental organization (NGO) Transparencia worked on a number of fronts; the group conducted a comprehensive, pre-electoral observation effort and served as the main source of electoral information in Peru, providing regular, up-to-date information on electoral issues. On election day, the group fielded close to 20,000 domestic election monitors, conducted a quick count of first round election results, and received and processed complaints. USAID-supported NGOs encouraged the participation of women as candidates for Congress and provided training to those who were elected in order to make them more effective legislators. The percentage of women elected at the national level increased by 100% in five years, rising from 11% in 1995 to 22% in 2000, and far exceeding planned expectations. The USAID-funded NGO Rural Education Services, working in the highland areas of the country where voter turnout has traditionally been very low, laid the groundwork for increased, informed voter participation. In these areas, results showed an increase of 13% to 21% in voter turnout, and a 6% to 12% decrease in the percentage of null ballots. These figures exceeded national improvement rates. The Institute for Dialogue and Proposals, in collaboration with Culture TV, developed an innovative program to promote citizen education and local participation through television. With USAID support, the organizations created a network of more than 70 regional television stations that reached almost two million people, especially those living in poor, rural areas. USAID also supported the National/International Forum to promote more informed participation of young people. Approximately 650 youth leaders from universities, institutes, and community organizations in 12 cities around the country were trained in voting and democracy issues.

Also in 2000, USAID supported international observation and supervision of the electoral process through the Organization of American States (OAS), the National Democratic Institute, and the Carter Center, all of which played a critical role in identifying issues to be resolved during the run-up to the elections on April 9th. Their expert opinions and international reputations for providing highly credible, fact-based reporting and advice on the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections were instrumental in keeping key issues in these elections in the public's view both domestically and internationally. Because the Government of Peru did not act on recommendations made by these three groups, all of them effectively concluded that the electoral process did not meet minimum, international standards for free, fair and transparent elections. As a result, tremendous national and international pressure was brought to bear on President Fujimori after his controversial victory in the second round.

USAID contributed to Peruvian citizens becoming better prepared to exercise their rights and responsibilities through its training programs in political and women's rights, rights-based learning programs in schools, and through support to the Peruvian Institute for Education in Human Rights and Peace, which, in coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Coordinator for Human Rights, trained an additional 637 community human rights promoters (363 men and 274 women) in 2000. In turn, these human rights promoters, along with the more than 1,000 others trained to date, have trained more than 185,000 people in their communities.

Progress toward greater access to justice continued to be satisfactory, based on the number of persons released from prison who were "unjustly" sentenced on charges of terrorism (109 people liberated through the efforts of the Ad Hoc Pardon Commission and the Legal Defense Institute), and the number of poor who received legal assistance. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ), which took over responsibility for addressing miscarriages of justice related to terrorism in early 2000, has done little to continue the effort. However, the newly designated Minister of Justice may take a more proactive approach to the resolution of pending cases. During 2000, USAID-financed legal clinics and conciliation centers continued to provide free legal and conciliation services to the poor. Sixty percent of the more than 145,000 cases processed in 2000 were domestic violence and child support cases brought by women. USAID support provided conflict resolution training to more than 1,500 conciliators in preparation for the law that became effective in March 2001 requiring conciliation as a first step in most civil cases.

Through its alternative development activity, USAID has continued to provide support to the 77 member Municipal Association of the San Martin Region, strengthening its management capacity and providing it with mechanisms to increase citizen participation. Support was continued to the new Municipal Association of the Apurimac River Valley, an association of seven municipalities, to reinforce its operating capacity and to help improve basic social services that will be administered by the municipalities. USAID supported training programs that served more than 300 women elected to municipal office in local management, as well as integration of gender in municipal plans. Because local governments in Peru continue to have scant resources and little authority, more support is needed to promote effective decentralization in Peru.

Following the controversial elections of 2000, growing political and economic instability accompanied by corruption scandals forced President Fujimori to call for new elections in 2001, followed by his resignation and subsequent removal from office. The extraordinary April 2001 electoral period has presented tremendous challenges and opportunities to USAID's democracy activities. In FY 2001, USAID is supporting the new electoral process using ESF resources. DA resources will be used to provide incremental support for the promotion and defense of human rights; the dissemination and monitoring of conciliation services as an effective means to resolve conflicts; and for activities aimed at strengthening democratic participation and knowledge of democratic issues.

Beginning in 2001 and continuing into 2002, USAID financial resources will be used to strengthen democratic processes and institutions in Peru in critical areas, including greater judiciary independence and efficiency, greater protection of human rights, increased freedom of expression, greater access to the media, and electoral system reform. USAID plans to achieve this objective through strengthening civil and political society advocacy efforts for democratic reform, such as support to networks of civil society organizations to help develop concrete institutional reforms in select public sector institutions. Funding will also be provided to monitor the democratic reform process and to help channel citizen input into reform through civil society efforts, including support to media organizations. Strengthening judiciary independence and efficiency as well as decentralization and local government strengthening will be two areas of likely ESF support in 2002.

In FY 2001, ESF which includes carry over funds will support the 2001 electoral process through programs of electoral observation ($2,350,000), electoral education ($1,650,000), and technical assistance to electoral bodies ($3,215,000). In 2001 DA including carryover funds will be used to support the following: 1) promotion and defense of human rights ($300,000); 2) dissemination and monitoring of conciliation services ($300,000); 3) strengthening democratic institutions and democratic participation, and increasing knowledge of democratic issues ($1,800,000). The remainder (about $600,000) will fund activity management costs.

In FY 2002, ESF funds will support citizen input into democratic reform efforts through civil society ($1,000,000) and human rights activities ($1,000,000). Two other areas of likely support are strengthening the independence and efficiency of the judiciary (approximately $4,500,000), and decentralization and local government strengthening ($3,500,000). USAID will use FY 2002 DA resources to strengthen civil and political society advocacy efforts for democratic reform, such as support to networks of civil society organizations to help develop concrete institutional reforms in selected public sector institutions. Allocation of resources will depend on the outcome of the 2001 elections and the commitment of the new government to institutional reform.

Possible Adjustments to Plans: After a new president and congress are elected, USAID plans to review the new government's commitment to democratic reform and consider funding institutional reform efforts.

Other Donor Programs: In 2000, the Governance Group (comprised of the United States, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Finland, the European Union, and United Nations Development Program, among others), founded with USAID support, concentrated efforts in two areas: elections and strengthening of regional and local governance. USAID had a successful experience during the 2000 electoral process working with this group, as evidenced by the substantial, donor-coordinated assistance provided to the Office of the Ombudsman to advance human rights and to Transparencia to enhance electoral participation and transparency. Donor coordinated efforts have increased for the extraordinary 2001 general elections in that USAID, together with the Canadian Cooperation Agency, is leading a donors group made up of 25 international organizations and embassies in order to share information and coordinate and complement efforts. Members of the Governance Group and the Inter-American Development Bank are supporting decentralization activities and modernization of the justice sector. Support to the newly elected government will require coordination of assistance within the donor community in order to identify priorities and avoid duplication of efforts and resources.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: U.S. organizations include: International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the National Democratic Institute. Peruvian agencies and organizations include: Office of the Ombudsman, Ministry of Justice, National Office of Electoral Processes, and various local civil society organizations working on human rights and political rights issues (e.g. Peruvian Institute for Education in Human Rights and Peace, Legal Defense Institute, Transparencia, Rural Education Services, and the Institute for Dialogue and Proposals, among others). International agencies include the Center for Electoral Promotion and Assistance.

** This includes a $1.0 million transfer from the Human Rights and Democracy fund

FY 2002 Performance Table

Peru: 527-001

U.S. Financing

(In thousands of dollars)

	Obligations		Expenditures		Unliquidated
Through September 30, 1999	9,300	DA	6,509	DA	2,791	DA
	100	CSD	0	CSD	100	CSD
	4,443	ESF	4,286	ESF	157	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Fiscal Year 2000	3,100	DA	3,838	DA
	0	CSD	100	CSD
	430	ESF	535	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA
Through September 30, 2000	12,400	DA	10,347	DA	2,053	DA
	100	CSD	100	CSD	0	CSD
	4,873	ESF	4,821	ESF	52	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Prior Year Unobligated Funds	156	DA
	0	CSD
	4,015	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA	2,844	DA*
	0	CSD
	3,200	ESF**
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001	3,000	DA
	0	CSD
	7,215	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
			Future Obligations		Est. Total Cost
Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA	2,526	DA	3,778	DA	21,704	DA
	-	CSD	-	CSD	100	CSD
	10,000	ESF	-	ESF	21,873	ESF
	-	SEED	-	SEED	0	SEED
	-	FSA	-	FSA	0	FSA
	-	DFA	-	DFA	0	DFA

Peru

Activity Data Sheet

FY 2002 Performance Table

Peru: 527-001

U.S. Financing