Every year the British High Commission runs some small projects. All these projects are designed to support one or more of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office's Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs). The DSOs for 2009/10 are:

• Countering terrorism, weapons proliferation and their causes
• Promoting a low carbon, high growth, global economy
• Preventing and resolving conflict
• Developing effective international institutions, above all the UN and EU
  

Projects funded by the bilateral fund in 2008/09

In the financial year 2008/09 the amount allocated under the FCO Bilateral Fund Programme to Dar es Salaam was £226,041.  The following is a summary of the projects supported, under each of the 4 FCO Departmental Strategic Objective headings:

1. Countering Terrorism, Weapons Proliferation and their causes

We supported one representative of the Tanzanian Chapter of the Amani Forum to participate in a UN Small Arms and Light Weapons meeting in New York. 

The purpose was to support Tanzanian participation in reviewing the United Nations Programme of Action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in SALW in all its aspects.  The expected outcome of this conference was that member state should agree on establishment of effective stockpile management system and measures; sustainable capacity building, including education and training of national personnel in stockpile management and security, and in the destruction of surplus small arms and light weapons using safe and environmentally bending methods; relocation of small arms and light weapons storage depots where necessary.

2. Training in Leadership Skills for Tanzanian Police Commanders.  This project was divided into three phases.  Phases one and two saw 40 senior police commanders from different regions attend four weeks' training, conducted by police trainers from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in Bramshill, UK.  The main purpose was to improve and develop management, leadership, and operational command skills. 

Phase 3 (in 09/10) of the project training is designed to make such training more sustainable.

Preventing and Resolving Conflict

3. We sponsored a senior officer from the Tanzania People's Defence Forces to attend the Wilton Park conference "Women targeted or affected by armed conflict: what role for military peacekeepers?" in May 2008.  The conference reviewed current peacekeeping practice in the prevention of widespread and systematic sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict contexts, with a view to:

identifying existing efforts to prevent the targeting of women and children for sexual violence within current peacekeeping approaches to civilian protection;
building a policy consensus on sexual violence as a security issue backed by mandates, means, training and incentives for effective response.

We expect this initiative to contribute to Government of Tanzania (GoT) peacekeeping planning.

4. We sponsored one Tanzanian State Attorney currently working on fraud/corruption cases to the Wilton Park conference "Improving international efforts to combat fraud" in June 08.  The main purpose of the conference was to:

consider effective strategies to combat fraud;
consider the effectiveness of international policy frameworks and the role of international institutions;
discuss how to strengthen public and private sector partnerships;
consider the effectiveness of public awareness campaigns.

This initiative was complementary to a wider programme of assistance to anti-corruption agencies that DFID is supporting in Tanzania.

5. We sponsored three senior officials from the Ministry of Information, Culture & Sport on a visit to London to learn about the UK's Freedom of Information legislation and implementation.  Our objective was to familiarise them with the UK experience to assist their own process of drafting a new Freedom of Information Bill in Tanzania.

During the 4-day visit the visitors met a number of key interlocutors, and described the visit as "very successful".  They expect to draw on what they have learnt about UK legislation and implementation when tabling the new Bill at some stage in the future.

6. We sponsored 2 representatives from the Zanzibar Election Commission (ZEC) to attend a "Managing Elections" training course run by Public Administration International (PAI) in London in September 08.

The participants represented membership from the two main political parties in Zanzibar.  The main objective was to provide support to high standards of accountability and governance in Tanzania, in particular Zanzibar.  On return the participants told us that the knowledge they acquired would be very useful in their day to day activities, in particular in the run up to General Elections in 2010.  They have already arranged to share this knowledge with their colleagues in ZEC and have also made suggestions for possible follow up.

7. Purchase of computer reading equipment (Dolphin Pens) for blind students.  This project took place in the context of a visit by Rt. Hon David Blunkett MP for Sightsavers International.  Part of the purpose of the visit was to encourage Tanzanian ratification of the UN Resolution on Disability.  The presentation by Mr Blunkett to local blind students, which received wide publicity, helped raise the profile of disability, supporting lobbying efforts.

8. Support for Head of the Albino Association of Tanzania to take part on the British Council's Interaction Leadership programme. 

Taking place in London and Mombasa, this programme helps develop leadership skills.  Discrimination and attacks/murders of albinos has become a major international issue over the last year, and so this project helped the Albino Association manage itself and develop into a strong human rights defending organisation.   This will strengthen their capacity for lobbying the government to have policies/laws in place against those perpetrating attacks against albinos (for body parts), help raise awareness to the public, and assist the Government and civil society to develop a multi-agency approach to the issue.

9. Scoping work with the African Court for Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) in Arusha, Tanzania.

This visit by staff from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's Human Rights Department took place in Arusha, Tanzania where ACHPR is located. This project was specifically intended to find entry points for UK engagement with African Human Rights Actors/Institutions.
     
Promoting a low carbon, high growth, global economy

10. We sponsored senior Government officials in relevant departments (Environment, and Foreign Affairs) to the Wilton Park conference "Climate change and foreign policy: the implications and scope for policy integration" that took place in Copenhagen in October 08.

The conference mainly focused on:
how climate change affects foreign policy priorities;
how developed and emerging economies might reach agreement on a new climate change treaty;
how climate change considerations can best be integrated with development, energy security, trade and security polices.

We expect this to have an impact on GoT thinking in the run up to COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 09.

11. Training course on climate change for media.  Working with the Environmental Journalists of Tanzania (JET), we brought in a trainer from the Thomson Foundation in Cardiff to run a one-week programme on climate change reporting.

Our objective was to ensure that Tanzania continues to take progressive, high profile positions in international negotiations about Climate Change.  Although we had planned to train 12 journalists, we eventually had a group of 9 from various media houses in Tanzania.  The programme included a field trip to an ongoing biomass project, and presentations from the Vice President's office (responsible for environment) and the Chairperson of JET.

12. Funding to JET (Environmental Journalists of Tanzania) newsletter.  This, "Jet News", is a monthly newsletter of climate change and other environmental issues affecting Tanzania, which is widely distributed free of charge.  Contributors are some of Tanzania's leading environmental journalists.

The overall goal of the project was to raise public awareness on issues pertaining to climate change in Tanzania, while strengthening the operations, and environmental understanding of local NGOs and JET.  Issues covered include climate change, deforestation, misuse of pesticides, mining sector, dynamite fishing, wildlife policies, eco-tourism, conservation of water catchments, community forestry management and bush fires.

The publications are distributed free of charge to Embassies, international agencies/foreign organisations and NGOs.  Apart from an English newsletter there is also a kiswahili sister publication which goes to individuals, schools, women groups, environmental groups, and other NGOs/CBOs.

13. Climate Change Course for Tanzanian NGOs, in London, organised by Imperial College. 

BHC selected one NGO dealing with environment, called Environmental Protection and Management Services to represent other organisations.  The main objective of the training was to help professionals understand both the underlying science and the business impacts of climate change.  The benefits of this training are that in Tanzania most non-governmental organisations dealing with climate change are limited to "learning by doing" training, as relevant institutions are lacking, particularly on issues such as CDMs (Clean Development Mechanism).

14. Climate Change Mitigation through Renewable Energy Information Dissemination.  Implemented by the Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA).  This project brought together actors in Tanzania's renewable energy sector.  The project objective was to build capacity of technical personnel and procurement officers of district councils in Tanzania; to enhance solar energy uses and evaluation, by developing a Tanzania Renewable Energy Directory.  This will help guide industry actors and stakeholders to make informed decisions on sourcing, supply utilisation and services. 

Continuing in 09/10 we expect at least 50 active district renewable energy information focal points to be furnished with information on renewable energy, with 2,000 copies of the directory produced.

15. Support to the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors. We sponsored the Chairperson of ZATI to attend a conference in Leeuwarden, Netherlands in support of the UN Decade of Peace and non-violence for the Children of the World and the UN Millennium Development Goals. It was mainly focused on:
Providing a forum for governments, private enterprise, donors agencies, foundations and NGO's to debate and reach consensus on more effective models of achieving North-South and South-South collaboration towards sustainable tourism development, poverty reduction and societal betterment.
Facilitating effective knowledge transfer on models of Best Practise and state of the art contribution of technology to sustainable tourism development, community empowerment and destination marketing.
Enhance the role of the media and the role of culture and sport in nurturing north-south and south-south dialogue, relationship and collaboration.
Identify potential synergies with other industries for sustainable wealth creation, poverty reduction and societal betterment in Least Development Countries.

Developing effective international institutions

16. Support to the Commonwealth Judicial Conference in Arusha, Tanzania.   In collaboration with Tanzania's Court of Appeal we sponsored four judges from the High Court and Court of Appeal to attend this conference.

The objective was to create and support sustainable judicial education capacity, in support of ongoing judicial reform programmes.  The function of the Commonwealth Judicial Education is to create and support national judicial bodies and provide regional and international judicial education networks and linkages.  The expected outcome is the creation of a nucleus of trained judicial educators to initiate and support sustainable judicial education, including distance learning.