ANNUAL REPORT PBI Honduras. Our first year in Honduras: widening and strengthening the project

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 PBI Honduras Our first year in Honduras: widening and strengthening the project April 2015

2 INDEX 1 EDITORIAL WHO WE ACCOMPANY WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN 2014: SOME FIGURES WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED IN 2014? POLITICAL CONTEXT: HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONDURAS FINANCES

3 1 EDITORIAL The year 2014 has been a year of consolidation and strengthening for PBI Honduras. There have been some intense months of rapid growth in the project in response to the serious situation in the Central American country. The field team grew from four to six members and we formalised our accompaniment relationship with the Honduran Centre for Promotion and Community Development (Centro Hondureño de Promoción y Desarrollo Comunitario - CEHPRODEC) and journalist Dina Meza. Both have already participated in European tours in recent months, with the support of PBI national groups. The aim of these visits is to expand the support network and seek international attention for the human rights reality in Honduras. Similarly, the PBI field team has focused much of its work on continuing to extensively publicise our work with the Honduran authorities, work which began in 2013, and on strengthening the project s relationship with other international organisations and the diplomatic corps. Our work inside Honduras has been complemented by actions we have undertaken in Europe, including the organisation of a training session for new volunteers, the publication of information materials and advocacy work and fundraising. The year 2014 began in Honduras with the inauguration of Juan Orlando Hernández as President, after his victory in the elections of November The PBI report published following the elections offered a number of recommendations for the international community, in order to improve the human rights situation. Today, one year later, the recommendations are still valid: Honduran institutions still need to be strengthened so that they operate more effectively, and so that human rights defenders can be effectively protected. It is fundamental that the Law on the protection of human rights defenders, journalists, communicators and justice administrators, is approved. This law has been under discussion in Congress for several months now. As discussed in our publications, the outlook for human rights continues to be bleak. This was echoed by the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) after its visit last December. The human rights body highlighted in its observations the risk situation for human rights defenders, who are victims of constant harassment, and even murder. Among the most vulnerable groups are journalists and social communicators, LGBTI people, women and land claimants. The IACHR also expressed misgivings about the militarisation of the State response to this serious situation and criticised the widespread use of the army in tasks that should be the exclusive responsibility of the civilian authorities. Similarly, they expressed alarm about the lack of independence of the judiciary and the pressures that judicial officers are under. With this worrying situation as a framework, PBI have worked hard to try to meet protection needs. Besides accompaniments to CEHPRODEC and Dina Meza, we have offered international observation at human rights events, in order to extend our protection to civil society in general. We have also monitored the situation for other organisations close to PBI such as OFRANEH, CDM, CPTRT, etc. 3

4 We ended the year satisfied with our achievements so far. We believe now more than ever, that a PBI project in Honduras is necessary, and we have been able to verify that fact after one year in the country. 4

5 2 WHO WE ACCOMPANY Dina Meza and CEHPRODEC: the first to be accompanied by PBI Honduras Throughout 2014 we formalised our accompaniment relationship with journalist Dina Meza and the organisation CEHPRODEC. PBI Honduras has built a close relationship of trust with these two entities since our first exploratory mission to the country in colleagues have been killed since the 2009 coup, their families are terrified, and some children have been left orphaned. Who will tell them the truth when they grow up? Who will explain to them that their mother or father was killed because they were a journalist? Freedom of expression in Honduras is under serious attack DINA MEZA, hearing before the IACHR on killings of journalists and impunity in Honduras. Journalist Dina Meza epitomises the serious situation for journalists and social communicators in Honduras. Because of her research on key issues in the country, she has been the victim of attacks for a number of years. Recently the defender has reported to PBI acts of surveillance and intimidation against herself and her family. Ms. Meza s situation was still further aggravated because the precautionary measures which had been granted to her by the IACHR were withdrawn. She had been granted these measures as a member of COFADEH, an organisation to which she belonged until January International PEN is supporting the journalist to request new measures. During 2014 we accompanied Dina Meza during her work in the following areas: - Launch of PEN Honduras: this centre was opened in response to violence against journalism and social communication, and aims to combat the persistent impunity in attacks against this sector. Dina Meza is among those who promoted the opening of the centre and is currently its director. PBI observed the opening press conference. 5

6 - Presentation and follow-up with the IACHR on the case of Julio Ernesto Alvarado: Dina Meza has closely monitored the case of this journalist, considering it to be an emblematic case of violation of freedom of expression for political reasons. In 2006, during his news program, Alvarado discussed the alleged involvement of the Dean of the Autonomous University of Honduras in influence peddling and faking university degrees, for which he was sentenced to 16 months in prison on charges of defamation and disqualified from his profession. Several appeals were submitted in an attempt to overturn the disqualification, but none succeeded. Throughout this process the journalist was targeted by threats, surveillance and even an assassination attempt. In response to this situation, the IACHR granted him precautionary measures and Alvarado asked the Honduran State to suspend the execution of the sentence. At the time of writing of this report he continues to be disqualified from practicing journalism.1 - Monitoring of complaints lodged with the Public Ministry: PBI also accompanies the journalist during her visits to the Public Prosecutor s Office to request information on progress in the investigations into the threats she has suffered since To date, no progress has been reported. CEHPRODEC was founded over 20 years ago in response to the violation of the right to food, among other issues. Since then, the organisation has been accompanying indigenous and small farming struggles for the defence of land, and promoting training, organisation and protection activities, in order to guarantee the rights of people affected by the extractives industry. CEHPRODEC members face the same problem of being vulnerable to attacks as other organisations defending human rights in the country. PBI accompanies its members during their activities supporting processes with communities who are part of the Lenca Indigenous Movement for Peace in Honduras (Movimiento Indígena Lenca por la Paz en Honduras - MILPAH) and other organisations belonging to the National Coalition of Environmental Networks (Coalición Nacional de Redes Ambientales - CONROA). CEHPRODEC has reported to PBI violations of the right to land, clean water, health, territory and food, during the implementation of economic projects. In most cases the implementation of these projects has not respected the prior consultation process required under ILO Convention

7 During 2014 we have accompanied CEHPRODEC during their work in the following departments: - Francisco Morazán: we made regular visits to the organisation s offices in this region and accompanied them when they delivered legal complaints alleging the unconstitutionality of the General Mining Law and proposals for its reform. - La Paz: Several visits were made to Lenca communities living in the municipalities of San Jose and Santa Elena, who face lawsuits, intimidation and threats related to their opposition to the Aurora I and Encinos SA hydroelectric dams. - Atlántida: CEHPRODEC supports the defence of the Cuyamel river basin from the construction of a hydroelectric dam by the Compañía de Energía San Francisco S.A. de C.V.. If the project goes ahead, it will affect water sources in the area. 7

8 3 WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN 2014: SOME FIGURES 3.1 Dialogue with the authorities PBI Honduras held a Dialogue with the authorities in 2014 total of 42 dialogue meetings in 2014, 23 of these with national and 19 international authorities. The former include meetings with the National Commissioner for Human Rights (CONADEH), the Human Rights Prosecutor s Office and the National Police. The latter include Embassies (UK, France, Germany, and Spain), the Delegation of the European Union and the United Nations Developmetn Program (UNDP). These meetings have mainly focused on raising awareness of PBI s work, as the project has been running for a relatively short time. We have also expressed concern about the situation of those we accompany. 3.2 Meetings A total of 154 meetings Meetings in 2014 were held: 106 with Honduran organisations, including CNTC, CEHPRODEC, CPTRT and the Defenders Network, and 48 with international organisations, including PROAH, Caritas and Diakonia. These meetings with civil society have been aimed at increasing knowledge of the Honduran situation and the defence of human rights, as well as presenting the work of PBI. 8

9 3.3 Accompaniments A total of 30 accompaniments were carried out with CEHPRODEC and Dina Meza, the two entities that PBI accompanied in Accompaniments in 2014 CEHPRODEC was accompanied mainly in the department of La Paz, during their work with communities there. We accompanied Dina Meza mainly in the city of Tegucigalpa, during her investigative and journalistic work. 3.4 Observation work We observed 57 events Observation work in 2014 and activities, including events held on Labour Day on May 1, and the Day of Non-Violence against Women on November 25. We also observed press conferences and forums on a number of issues. Through these observations we aim to demonstrate the presence of international organisations in areas of special relevance, thereby indirectly providing protective accompaniment to civil society. Moreover, during these events PBI enriches its analysis and understanding of the situation in the country 9

10 3.5 Dissemination of information Throughout 2014, PBI has consolidated its international support work through the dissemination of information. In the month of July we published the PBI Honduras Newsletter No. 1. As in our previous reports, we discuss the risks for individuals, organisations and communities that demand respect for their rights, exemplifying this risk via real cases. We also place particular emphasis on defending freedom of expression, and the defence of land and territory, both under constant attack in the country. On December 10, we also circulated a Briefing Paper on the security situation of small-scale farmers and indigenous people from Santa Elena, in the department of La Paz, related to the construction of a hydroelectric project. Throughout the month of December, PBI Honduras worked on Newsletter No. 2, which was published at the beginning of All these documents were sent out to social organisations, Honduran authorities and the international community. Information was also shared about PBI Honduras itself. Two information packs were circulated during the year to PBI national groups in Europe and America, to update them on the consolidation of the project and on the situation in the country, for use in their advocacy meetings and to strengthen their support network. 3.6 Speaking tours Our accompanied organisations visited Europe in December. Donald Hernández, a lawyer from CEHPRODEC, participated in the Business and Human Rights Forum 10

11 organised by the UN in Geneva, and met with authorities and civil society in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Norway and France. Meanwhile, journalist Dina Meza attended the NGO Forum on Human Rights, organised by the European Union in Brussels, and the Human Rights Café, a forum to discuss the dangers of practicing journalism in Central America. She also met with the Netherlands Foreign Minister and several international agencies. Both tours were organised with the support of PBI national groups. Side event during the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, with Donald Hernandez from CEHPRODEC, December 5, Workshops In July 2014, PBI Honduras organised a workshop on personal safety for a group of community leaders who promote the defence of land and territory. The workshop, organised together with Protection International, was requested by CEHPRODEC and was attended by 30 people. The goal was to make different personal and community tools available to these individuals to strengthen their safety and minimise risk, as they are exposed to different threats in their day to day lives. In November, a computer security workshop was organised jointly with the Access Foundation (Fundación Acceso). Eighteen members from various human rights organisations attended. This time the training focused specifically on IT security strategies to protect organisations digital and communications information. 3.8 Volunteer training and selection In July 2014 a training session was held for future PBI Honduras international observers. For one week workshops and lectures were held on PBI and the situation in Honduras in order to prepare candidates for international accompaniment duties. It is important to note that this intensive week was the culmination of a training process lasting several months, in which the candidates completed a series of educational tasks related to Honduras and international accompaniment. At the July 2014 meeting, six people attended from a number of different countries: two French people and one person each from Germany, Great Britain, Mexico and Spain. Five people passed the training and selection stage and joined the team in Honduras during the last months of the year. 11

12 Training of new PBI Honduras volunteers, July

13 4 WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED IN 2014? PBI Honduras acquired legal status as an INGO During the first half of the year PBI Honduras registered with the corresponding Honduran authorities. On May 23 we delivered the required documentation to the Ministry of Human Rights, Justice, Governance and Decentralisation (Secretaría de Derechos Humanos, Justicia, Gobernación y Descentralización - SDHJGD), responsible for processing the registration of NGOs in Honduras. In early November the Secretariat approved our registration application. Accompanied organisations continued to carry out their activities for the defence of human rights In May, PBI Honduras began accompanying CEHPRODEC and journalist Dina Meza, with the aim of providing protection so that they can perform their work safely. Throughout the 2014 Dina Meza has continued to work as a journalist and investigative reporter. In October she assumed the role of Director of PEN Honduras, to continue supporting other journalists who have no protection measures. Similarly, members of CEHRPODEC continued their working trips to the departments of La Paz and Intibucá to advise small farmers and indigenous communities. In addition, through PBI s international observation in events considered risky by Honduran organisations, we demonstrated international concern for safety at these events and support for work defending human rights. We enriched our analysis of the security situation for human rights defenders PBI has systematised information on security incidents against organisations, which has improved our understanding of the human rights situation. This information comes from internal and external documentation as well as regular meetings with the international community. PBI has become a reference for the protection of defenders in Honduras and is regularly invited by the international community to bilateral meetings for the analysis of the situation. Information security and personal safety implemented by human rights defenders measures were During workshops held in 2014, we identified significant needs for Honduran organisations in terms of personal and IT security. Most participants said they were going to implement these measures and stressed the importance of further training to delve deeper into the use of these measures as well as improving their skills in areas such as risk analysis. 13

14 We intensified our work with national, state and local authorities, urging them to fulfil their responsibility to protect human rights Throughout 2014, PBI held 21 meetings with various national authorities, including representatives from the National Police, the Armed Forces, the Public Prosecutor s Office and the National Human Rights Commissioner (CONADEH). In all of these meetings PBI expressed concern about the safety of accompanied persons, as well as other issues related to international law, encouraging these State authorities to assume their responsibility as the main guarantors of human rights. The national authorities reacted to these meetings, particularly the CONADEH and the National Police, on four occasions. The National Police contacted us twice, sharing internal reports and reporting progress on cases. The CONADEH, at the request of PBI Honduras, reacted by observing two events organised by Honduran human rights organisations. We strengthened our advocacy and networking activities PBI worked in close coordination with other international organisations who offer international observation and support in Honduras, including PROAH, Peace Watch, CICA and the Hondurasdelegation. In 2014 PBI Honduras was accepted as a member of the coordination group of international cooperation agencies in Honduras (ACI Derechos Humanos) and of the Copenhagen Initiative for Central America and Mexico (CIFCA), a platform which carries out advocacy work before the European Union. It is important to highlight that the information published by PBI in our reports has been used by international organisations such as CEJIL in arguing their cases before the Inter-American System of Human Rights. 14

15 5 POLITICAL CONTEXT: HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONDURAS Human rights situation in Honduras: risk and vulnerability persist The human rights situation during 2014 has continued to be severe, as it has been in recent years. The high level of impunity is still considered to be one of the most pressing issues, because when impunity persists, this sends out a message that human rights violations are tolerated. Human rights organisations continue to report the urgent need to investigate and punish those responsible for violations and compensate the victims. For this to happen, the State needs to comply with its obligation to ensure judicial independence, by adopting as rules of interpretation in national legislation, the UN Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary and other international standards. Similarly, the State should resume its efforts to purge its security and justice institutions. Moreover, it must continue to provide technical and financial resources to strengthen the Human Rights Prosecutor s Office and to evaluate its performance, in consultation with organisations who have suffered attack. In particular, there should be guarantees that the investigative system has the tools it needs to gather evidence, and that there is an effective witness protection program Criminalisation has become a major threat to activists. The biased application of the law accompanied by public declarations which question the defence of human rights has led to a serious deterioration of the space for this work to be carried out. Honduran civil society and international organisations have repeatedly called for public statements recognising the work of human rights defenders, and for both public and private entities that stigmatise defenders to be sanctioned. The authorities have also been called upon to improve training programs for judicial and law enforcement officials on economic, social and cultural rights. The first year of government of Juan Orlando Hernández has been marked by the consolidation of policies for the militarisation of the country, with a considerable increase in the budget devoted to defence and security. Concerns about the impacts of militarising police work can be explained by looking at the daily reality in Honduras, where there have been several examples of human rights violations involving the armed forces. Sectors of civil society have reported that the aim of militarising the country is to suppress and hinder the defence of human rights and that the armed forces have transformed their mission to defend national sovereignty into persecuting the internal enemy, in order to maintain the political and economic establishment. They therefore call upon the government to refrain from using the armed forces in public security activities. Economic Development Zones (Zonas de Desarrollo Económico - ZEDE), also known as Model Cities, have been another controversial issue during The ZEDE are areas of land with special conditions granted to investors, subject to different rules from the rest of the country, and with their own autonomy. President Juan Orlando Hernández has defended the installation of the ZEDE, arguing that 15

16 they are an opportunity for economic development and a source of income. However, many social organisations see these as a threat to Honduras sovereignty and believe that they could have a severe impact on their territories, bringing with them more poverty and conflict. They add that, communities have not been consulted about the project, as required by ILO Convention 169 which has been ratified by Honduras. The first proposal for model cities ; the Law on Special Development Regions (Ley de Regiones Especiales de Desarrollo, or RED Law), was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in October It is important to note that less than two months after ruling on the RED Act, Congress dismissed four of the five judges from the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court who ruled against the law. This dismissal was heavily criticised, as it was considered that Congress was exercising too much control over the judiciary, and that this was incompatible with the separation of powers, a fundamental element of any rule of law. 1 The new ZEDE Bill was approved on September 6, Many non-governmental organisations believe that the content of the new Bill is the same as the one that was declared to be unconstitutional, and that nothing has changed except its name. New government and protection mechanisms: urgent progress needed Juan Orlando Hernández took up office as Honduran President in January 2014 after elections were held in November Some irregularities occurred during these elections, as noted by observation missions from the OAS and the EU.2 National and international organisations took advantage of the change of government to call for progress to be made in the protection and promotion of human rights, and protection for the people engaged in this work. One of the most requested actions was the adoption of the Law on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Media Representatives and Justice Operators, which is still under discussion in Congress. The proposal under discussion drew strong criticism from social organisations, including the lack of a preventive approach in the protection measures contemplated under the law, as well as concerns about its complex institutional design. Similarly, statements by several State representatives caused alarm, as they stigmatised the beneficiaries of this new law.3 Throughout 2014 there were a number of initiatives in the run up to the Universal Periodic Review of Honduras, scheduled for May National and international civil society organisations shared their analysis of the human rights situation in the country, during a consultation process at the end of One of the strongest criticisms against the new government refers to the use of the armed forces in 1 Dismissal of Honduran Supreme Court judges an attack on democracy, OHCHR, January 29, Preliminary Statement: Transparent voting and counting after an unequal and opaque campaign, European Union Election Observation Mission, November 26, `La mejor medida de seguridad es uno solo, aconseja a hondureños presidente del Congreso, El Libertador, November 6, 2014 (press article in Spanish). 16

17 citizen security policies and the impact this has on human rights. Another reproach refers to cuts in the institutions responsible for the respect, promotion and realisation of human rights, such as the National Human Rights Commission (CONADEH), the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of Indigenous and Afro-Honduran Peoples. These Ministries were amalgamated with others and turned into undersecretaries or units, thereby losing autonomy in their functions and suffering budget cuts. Another policy raising concerns is the adoption of the Law for the Classification of Public Documents related to National Security and Defence, as this legislates for a decrease in access to information and freedom of speech and press. It is also important to mention the European Union (EU) Guidelines for the protection of human rights defenders. Despite several initiatives to raise awareness on this protection mechanism, PBI corroborated during 2014 that in general Honduran human rights organisations do not have any knowledge about it. This is reflected in the report Ten years of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders: an assessment from the field, 4 based on interviews with accompanied people and the diplomatic corps. During the ordinary session of meetings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held in April 2014, it was reported that some of the Honduran beneficiaries of precautionary protection measures had been killed. While it is true that the number of measures granted grew exponentially after the 2009 coup, the effective implementation of these measures has not been monitored, as reported by civil society. At the end of April, the government of Juan Orlando Hernández asked the Commission to suspend number of precautionary measures, arguing that the context that gave rise to them had changed substantially and that the political crisis of 2009 had been overcome, as proven by the elections held in November At the time of writing this report, the official response of the IACHR to the government s request is not known, however PBI has also expressed concern about the possible withdrawal of this protection mechanism, because it could leave some defenders exposed to greater risks. The IACHR conducted an on-site visit to Honduras from December 1 to 5, 2014, in order to observe the general human rights situation in the country. During its visit, the Commission met with numerous civil society organisations and with national authorities. In its preliminary observations following this visit, the IACHR highlights the reality of defenders daily lives, noting that attacks are carried out against them because of their work, with a particular emphasis on criminalisation processes. The observations also highlight the particularly vulnerable situation of certain groups, such as indigenous leaders, professional journalists and social communicators, women, justice operators, and LGBTI people, among others. The Commission is critical of the Honduran government s response, noting that State protective measures are insufficient due to institutional weaknesses. The observations underline the high level of impunity, which ranges between 95% and 98%, and also mention with concern the militarisation in the country and the need to guarantee the independence of the judiciary. 4 Ten years of the EU Guidelines on human rights defenders: an assessment from the field, PBI, July

18 6. FINANCES The year 2014 has seen the consolidation and growth of PBI activities in Honduras. Currently the project has three bank accounts: an interim account in Honduran Lempiras for field costs of the international team of volunteers and two project accounts in Spain, one of which is being used provisionally to receive funds for PBI Honduras from the donor Misereor and the other to receive the remaining funds and to perform operations and transfers arising from the implementation of project costs. At the end of 2014 PBI became registered as a legal entity in Honduras, and so it is expected that in early 2015 the project will be able to open accounts under that status and stop using temporary accounts in Honduras. When income is received in Honduras, this is recorded at the value actually received in Honduran Lempiras and shown in the financial statements as the value in the currency sent, as reported in the documentation issued by the bank. Project expenditure is presented in Euros using the average exchange rate for the period taken from the website INCOME IN THE YEAR 2014 Net income until December 31, 2014 totalled 107, EUR. Most PBI Honduras funding comes from government cooperation agencies, but also from donations from foundations and private sources. PBI national groups play a fundamental role in income support for the project; in fact 97% of the project s income comes from this source. The funds are raised together and show the value and importance of national groups for the development of the project. Funds to support PBI Honduras were collected from 14 sources in 9 countries. 18

19 PBI HONDURAS INCOME 2014 NATIONAL GROUP / DONOR EUROS PBI GERMANY Zivile Friedendienst / Civil Peace Service Brot für die Welt /Bread for the World Misereor 8, , , PBI ITALY 4, PBI CANADA Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Canadian Autoworkers (CAW) Union for Canada (UNIFOR) PBI FRANCE Caritas France 1, , , , PBI BELGIUM 1, PBI UK Sigrid Rausing Trust Sigrid Rausing Trust Open Society 3, , , PBI UNITED STATES Overbrook Foundation 2, PBI SWITZERLAND Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE) 20, TROCAIRE HONDURAS OTHER INCOME - Isec Emergency Fund 1, INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS 1, TOTAL 107,

20 6.2 EXPENDITURE IN THE YEAR 2014 Expenditure for the year 2014 stands at 99.51% compared to the final budget approved in August The total expenditure of PBI Honduras in 2014 was 97,486 EUR. During the year, budget adjustments were made, decreasing some items due to non-approval of anticipated funds and taking into account funding possibilities approved in the first half of the year. The overall financial situation is monitored regularly at all times to ensure that the organisation operates with an appropriate level of activity taking into account its available funding. PBI Honduras strives to ensure optimal and efficient implementation of the funding received. We conclude that the budget expenditure has fallen in line with initial expectations for Comments on the most significant changes according to budgeted costs for PBI Honduras 2014 Rent The house where the field volunteers live was changed due to security reasons which increased the amount originally planned for this year. Water, electricity and gas The change of house led to an unexpected increase in electricity costs which is being reviewed by the owner and the power company. House security measures The change of house led to security measures being strengthened because of the high risk of security incidents in the city. This was reflected in the purchase of surveillance and security equipment including window bars, cameras, etc. Communication costs Due to increased security measures communication costs increased. Publications Payment of the 2013 publications was delayed until 2014 leading to unexpected expenditure in this budget line. We have taken steps to prevent this from happening again. International transport Due to the extension of contracts for international volunteers in 2014, expenditure on international travel was less than planned for. Legal costs Due to the registration procedures for PBI in Honduras, there was overspending on this budget line. The project had to publish the registration in the Gazette (official journal) and this expense was not predicted in the report submitted by our legal advisor. Visas Volunteers in the field had to renew their tourist visas every 90 days until the legal registration was resolved. This meant trips abroad and other expenses. Moreover, the visa process led to extra costs for legal advice. Professional services: translator Newsletter 02 was longer than planned and led to higher costs for translation. The project also published an extra Alert / Briefing paper that led to extra costs for professional translation. Training costs Several facilitators worked voluntarily and paid their own expenses. Advocacy tours in Europe/USA Two tours in Europe were organised but the expenses were borne by PBI national groups, therefore there was no need to spend funds on this budget line. 20

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