Strengthening the Abolitionist Movement: Over 40 Civil Society Organisations Supported Through FSTP Calls for Proposals
Abolition
As part of its mission to expand and strengthen the global abolitionist movement, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, its Gender program and the Global Consortium for Death Penalty Abolition partners launched two rounds of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) calls for proposals. The FSTP calls aim to support civil society organisations (CSOs) engaged in activities promoting the abolition of the death penalty, particularly in regions where capital punishment remains in force and is seldom publicly debated. FSTP’s are managed by Consortium members and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
These FSTP calls were made possible thanks to the financial support of:
- The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) – through the Gender Project,
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada – also through the Gender Project,
- The European Union – through the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) with the Global Consortium for Death Penalty Abolition”
A High Level of Interest for the First Call for Proposals
The first FSTP Open Call, launched in October 2024, received significant interest, with 105 applications submitted, of which 73 were deemed eligible and unique. Most of these came from Africa South and East Asia, and the MENA region. Following a first screening by the Consortium members responsible for FSTP management, 35 applications were reviewed by an Independent Advisory Panel, except for three confidential applications that were exempted for security reasons.
The Independent Advisory Panel was composed of experts bringing diverse regional, thematic and technical perspectives to the selection process:
- Christian Gonzalez Chacon (Guatemala/Greater Caribbean) – Legal and academic expert on international human rights law and the death penalty (first FSTP Open Call only)
- Georges Azzi (Lebanon/MENA) – Advocate for sexual and gender health and rights, with experience in managing US government and EU-funded projects (first FSTP Open Call only)
- Hellen Mwasaha (Kenya/Africa) – Specialist in grants management, project management, finance, accounting, and procurement (second FSTP Open Call only)
- Morris Lipson (USA/UK) – Expert in grantee evaluation and strategic grant-making
- Tala Dowlatshahi (Iran/MENA) – Advocate for decolonising aid and development systems and promoting inclusive global well-being
The Independent Advisory Panel members were selected following a call for expressions of interest in 2023.
Ultimately, 30 applications were selected, with one additional application pending due diligence, awarded for a total of €386 050 granted. Several selected projects remain confidential in order to protect grantees operating in sensitive contexts.
A Second Call for More Targeted Support
The second FSTP Open Call, launched in April 2025, gathered 40 applications from 39 unique applicants, again with strong representation from Africa, South and East Asia, and MENA. Out of these, 16 were pre-selected by relevant Consortium members and reviewed by the independent advisory panel.
Twelve organisations were selected out of 14 grants available for a total of €80,000 out of the €85,000 available.
Direct Support to Local Abolitionist Actors
Together, the two FSTP calls enabled the funding of more than 40 abolitionist initiatives, led mainly by local civil society organisations—many of which had limited access to financial support in the past. These projects will support a wide range of activities, including advocacy, public awareness, support to families and death row survivors, as well as research and communication adapted to local contexts.
A strong emphasis was placed on inclusiveness, with many selected initiatives integrating gender perspectives, support for marginalised groups, and the reduction of systemic inequalities.
