One apparatus of IHRDA's legal aid program is the Legal Defense Fund. The Legal Defense Fund provides monetary support to persons and groups who bring cases before the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. Through an application process, these individuals and groups can obtain funding for expenses related to the case, such as travel and accommodation.
Applications for funding from the Legal Defense Fund are reviewed on an annual basis and must meet two key criteria:
-- the applicant must be a citizen of a country belonging to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) or be a national of Cameroon, Chad, or Mauritania
-- the applicant must have a recognized case before the African Commission on Human and People's Rights
IHRDA also provides examples of persons or groups who have successfully received funding from the Legal Defense Fund in the past. In 2005, 18 individuals from Southern Cameroon received $12,940 from the Fund during their case to obtain rights to equality and self determination in Cameroon. In another Cameroonian case, a group of victims of electoral violence received $18,421 over the span of 2004-2006 as they pursued the right to a fair trial.
The Legal Defense Fund of the IHRDA is a mechanism by which the IHRDA can provide tangible aid to those seeking protection of their human rights from the regional commission. It is through such programs that IHRDA is supporting advocating for human rights and supporting human rights organizations in Africa.
The Fund receives a significant portion of its funding from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).
Sources:
http://www.ihrda.org/legal-defence-fund/
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