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U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin Inbox x U.S. Department of State <usstatebpa@public.govdelivery.com> 6:39 AM (5 hours ago)  to me Public Schedule – December 16, 2019 12/15/2019 You are subscribed to Public Schedule for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Public Schedule – December 16, 2019 12/15/2019 08:46 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*** SECRETARY MICHAEL R. POMPEO 8:30 a.m. Secretary Pompeo delivers opening remarks to the Foreign Affairs Policy Board, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) DEPUTY SECRETARY JOHN SULLIVAN Deputy Secretary Sullivan attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State. USAID ADMINISTRATOR MARK GREEN Administrator Green is on travel to Haiti and Barbados from December 12-17.  Please click here for more information. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS DAVID HALE Under Secretary Hale has no public appointments. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS TIBOR P. NAGY, JR.  10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Nagy meets with Angolan Foreign Minister Manuel Augusto, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS DAVID STILWELL Assistant Secretary Stilwell is on travel to Hanoi, Vietnam from December 16–18. Please click here for more information. ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS PHILIP T. REEKER 2:00 p.m.  Acting Assistant Secretary Reeker delivers remarks at a farewell reception in honor of Greek Ambassador to the United States Theodore Lalakos, at Blair House, in Washington, D.C. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION Acting Assistant Secretary O’Connell is on travel to Geneva, Switzerland from December 16-18 to join the U.S. delegation to the 2019 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Global Refugee Forum. Please click here for more information. ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*** Kazakhstan’s Independence Day 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Kazakhstan’s Independence Day 12/16/2019 08:35 AM EST Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State On behalf of the people of the United States, I send my best wishes to the people of Kazakhstan as you celebrate your independence on December 16. The United States was among the first nations to recognize the Republic of Kazakhstan’s independence.  Over the years, the United States has worked with you in partnership, including through our Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue, on shared priorities such as economic development and trade.  Our close cooperation has grown stronger each year, and we look forward to deepening our relationship as Kazakhstan continues to fill key roles on the global stage as a partner in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity. I congratulate the people of Kazakhstan as you celebrate the anniversary of your nation’s independence. Kazakhstan’s Independence Day 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Kazakhstan’s Independence Day 12/16/2019 08:35 AM EST Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State On behalf of the people of the United States, I send my best wishes to the people of Kazakhstan as you celebrate your independence on December 16. The United States was among the first nations to recognize the Republic of Kazakhstan’s independence.  Over the years, the United States has worked with you in partnership, including through our Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue, on shared priorities such as economic development and trade.  Our close cooperation has grown stronger each year, and we look forward to deepening our relationship as Kazakhstan continues to fill key roles on the global stage as a partner in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity. I congratulate the people of Kazakhstan as you celebrate the anniversary of your nation’s independence. Under Secretary Hale’s Meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Kuleba 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Under Secretary Hale’s Meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Kuleba 12/16/2019 10:24 AM EST Office of the Spokesperson The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:‎ Under Secretary David Hale met December 13 in Washington with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Kuleba.  Under Secretary Hale underscored the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.  Under Secretary Hale and Deputy Prime Minister Kuleba also discussed next steps following the December 9 Normandy format summit and the importance of continued progress on the reform agenda in ensuring Ukraine’s success. Sanctions Against South Sudan Peace Process Spoilers 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Sanctions Against South Sudan Peace Process Spoilers 12/16/2019 11:40 AM EST Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Government of South Sudan officials, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro and Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Kuol Manyang Juuk, for their involvement in actions undermining peace in South Sudan. OFAC designated Martin Elia Lomuro and Kuol Manyang Juuk under Executive Order 13664 “Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to South Sudan,” which targets those responsible for or complicit in, or who have engaged in, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan, among other activities.  Today’s announcement demonstrates continued U.S. commitment to promote accountability of those whose actions threaten implementation of the South Sudanese peace process.  The United States stands ready to impose other measures against any who seek to expand the conflict and derail peace efforts in South Sudan. Efforts to undermine peace rob South Sudan of the security, stability, and confidence in government needed to negotiate and implement a lasting peace.  The South Sudanese deserve leaders who are committed to laying the groundwork for a successful, peaceful political transition. We urge the Government of South Sudan and opposition leaders to distance themselves from peace process spoilers and to make the compromises necessary to form an inclusive unity government by the extended deadline.  Sanctions are not permanent measures and may be lifted if sanctioned individuals demonstrate measurable support of the peace process in South Sudan.    Sanctions Against South Sudan Peace Process Spoilers 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Sanctions Against South Sudan Peace Process Spoilers 12/16/2019 11:40 AM EST Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Government of South Sudan officials, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro and Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Kuol Manyang Juuk, for their involvement in actions undermining peace in South Sudan. OFAC designated Martin Elia Lomuro and Kuol Manyang Juuk under Executive Order 13664 “Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to South Sudan,” which targets those responsible for or complicit in, or who have engaged in, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan, among other activities.  Today’s announcement demonstrates continued U.S. commitment to promote accountability of those whose actions threaten implementation of the South Sudanese peace process.  The United States stands ready to impose other measures against any who seek to expand the conflict and derail peace efforts in South Sudan. Efforts to undermine peace rob South Sudan of the security, stability, and confidence in government needed to negotiate and implement a lasting peace.  The South Sudanese deserve leaders who are committed to laying the groundwork for a successful, peaceful political transition. We urge the Government of South Sudan and opposition leaders to distance themselves from peace process spoilers and to make the compromises necessary to form an inclusive unity government by the extended deadline.  Sanctions are not permanent measures and may be lifted if sanctioned individuals demonstrate measurable support of the peace process in South Sudan.    Acting Assistant Secretary of State Carol Thompson O’Connell Travel to Geneva, Switzerland for the Global Refugee Forum 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Acting Assistant Secretary of State Carol Thompson O’Connell Travel to Geneva, Switzerland for the Global Refugee Forum 12/16/2019 01:08 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson From December 16-18, Acting Assistant Secretary Carol Thompson O’Connell will travel to Geneva, Switzerland to join the U.S. delegation for the Global Refugee Forum hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  The U.S. delegation is led by Ambassador Andrew Bremberg, and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Julie Cram will also join the delegation. Acting Assistant Secretary of State O’Connell will speak about America’s leadership in humanitarian assistance and diplomacy as it relates to gender-based violence, education, and early childhood development in crisis situations.  She will also underscore U.S. government priorities and leadership at events in support of regional refugee responses. For further information about America’s lifesaving work with refugees around the world, please contact PRMPress@state.gov, and follow @StatePRM on Twitter and @State.PRM on Facebook. Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert A. Destro 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert A. Destro 12/16/2019 03:50 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson Washington, D.C. Press Correspondents’ Room MR BROWN:  Hey, everybody.  We are joined once again by our Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Rob Destro.  He’s going to give an opening statement that will be on the record. Sir, go ahead. ASSISSTANT SECRETARY DESTRO:  Okay.  Well, good morning, everybody.  I guess – what time is it now?  No, I guess it’s afternoon now.  So good afternoon, time for me to report back my show-and-tell for the whirlwind trip to Europe.  We started on the evening of December 2nd and came back last Wednesday night, and we did quite a few things. I mean, the first thing was to meet the human rights defenders in the parallel OSCE conference that was held in Bratislava, and so as a member of the U.S. ministerial delegation I joined Acting Assistant Secretary Phil Reeker and Ambassador Jim Gilmore, who is the U.S. Permanent Representative to the OSCE.  And what we were trying to do is not only to, really now that I’m in place, trying to figure out how we work together to advance the overall agenda of protecting human rights, which is a – which is almost a constant job in that part of the world. And then the second big objective was to speak at an international human rights conference in Berlin in which I was on the panel for discussing human rights and artificial intelligence, which was quite an interesting conversation in and of itself. Okay, so let me just kind of run through quickly what we did in each spot.  The – in Bratislava, we attended the parallel conference to the OSCE.  So there was the official ministerial conference and then there was the parallel civil society conference, and this is where all the civil society human rights defenders come in, and so we have them coming in from Russia, Kirghizia, Turkmenistan – you name it, they were coming in. And it was almost like – we would sit at a table like this, and the people on the other side would file in, and these are the folks from Russia, these are the folks from Belarus.  And you got to meet some of – I have to say some of the most interesting, courageous people that you ever want to meet.  I mean, the fact that they are kind of on the front lines the way they are, and I mean, one of them, who I was particularly impressed with, he’s been at it for quite a long time notwithstanding the fact that his brother’s in jail.  So I mean, this is – it’s – they’re pretty impressive people. I’d say the highlight in one respect was my meeting with Oleg Sentsov, who – the Ukrainian filmmaker who was imprisoned in Russia for more than five years, talking about the aggression against Ukraine, including Crimea.  And I have to tell you that the stuff about Crimea was particularly upsetting.  The militarization of Crimea.  Crimea has really more or less, according to our civil society folks, has become an armed camp.  And so either they’re even sending soldiers into the schools, and so they’re developing what is the reinvigorating, what might be termed the Young Pioneers from the Soviet times. And it’s a – so most of what they wanted to know from us is: Are we with you?  And of course, the answer is yeah.  And (b): What can we do to be useful?  And then to – they get, as sometimes the foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers don’t, that in order to really stave off the embrace of the Russian bear that they have to develop their own civil societies.  I mean, what does it mean to be a Belarusian?  What does it really mean to be a Tajik?  I mean, and that these people have incredible stories; they have incredible resources, both human and natural. And so the question is: How can we help them basically – I mean, we really do need to take this idea of self-determination seriously, and so how do we do that?  And so that’s the – that’s kind of who we met.  We also, on the official list were three – the three expert institutions of OSCE, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the representative on Freedom of the Media, and the High Commissioner for National Minorities.  And they’re all doing very, very interesting work, and I have to tell you, like I say, I come back to the human rights defenders.  The media circumstances under which they operate, as I’ve mentioned before, the first time I ever had a classified briefing in my current role, I turned to the briefer and said, “Boy, am I glad I was born here.”  I mean, we really do have no idea of what they go through. We – after Bratislava I went to Geneva, where we had some – Ambassador Bremberg set up a couple of meetings with ambassadors from the likeminded countries in the morning, and then we had an absolutely fascinating meeting about – with the ambassadors from several of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which I had asked to get set up, because I want to know – I wanted to know how we can work with the  OIC in translating what we understand to be what many times they call Western human rights values.  There are direct analogies in Islamic jurisprudence to the same thing, they just call it “justice.”  Just like in – just like in if we were having a discussion in Jewish law, we would talk about mitzvah, we have to talk about justice when we’re talking about Islamic law. And it was just – it was a fascinating discussion.  I think we had some very frank exchanges.  They really want us to come back into the Human Rights Commission.  They miss us, which is a nice thing to know.  And I repeated that which was said before:  You know what the conditions are, so we’ll talk about them when we meet. Now, we also had – I was also reminding them that the Human Rights Commission is not the only multilateral organization in Geneva.  We had a lengthy meeting with ILO officials, something which is – something which I opened that conversation with the speech I gave to the ILO 100th anniversary in – last month.  And we sat down with Kate Gilmore, the UN Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights, and had a talk at great length in both the ILO and with Ms. Gilmore about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and other instances in which we’re talking about forced labor.  Because we’re also talking about forced labor not simply at Xinjiang, but also in Africa. And then after that, our next trip – I also gave them a shoutout, at least the UN a shoutout, because they have reopened their mission in Khartoum.  Because we’ve all got to get together and work hard to help the Sudanese achieve their own goals, and I thank them for their factfinding mission in Venezuela, which I think was pretty successful. We then went to Italy, where we – the primary goal of that trip was to meet with our friends and colleagues from the UN World Food Program.  My view is that once you have looked at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you get people fed, then you start worrying about how they can take care of their human rights issues.  So I’d kind of like to see us do a little bit more kind of almost skating on top of what they do.  And we’ve talked about, again, Sudan and Ethiopia but also some of the big refugee centers like Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. So there’s lots of really interesting and innovative things we can do.  They’re certainly on board, and I think we will be as well. From that, I went to Brussels for a day of – a day of consultations with our counterparts from the EU.  This is the first time we’ve done that meeting since – for five years.  We only stopped a couple of times for sampling the chocolate, but that’s – you can’t go to Brussels without having French fries and chocolate. QUESTION:  And beer. QUESTION:  Mussels. ASSISTANT SECRETARY DESTRO:  So le moules as well. QUESTION:  Beer. QUESTION:  We have a whole meal.  (Laughter.) ASSISTANT SECRETARY DESTRO:  No, I mean, in Belgium – we lived in Belgium for a while.  And my daughter was – she was completely against the idea until she realized that chocolate’s a food group there, and then she says, okay, we’re fine. All right.  So that meeting – those really went well.  We then went to Berlin for some meetings with – the German foreign ministry had a conference about kind of multilateralism, kind of what they called the multilateral – alliance of multilaterals.  I think that’s the name of it.  And I was on a panel on the nexus between artificial intelligence and human rights, and that was far and away what most people were interested in.  We also – my counterpart, my German counterpart had a lunch for the speakers afterwards, and that dominated the entire conversation at lunch as well. So, and I guess my – we can talk about that at greater length, but my basic view is that we really don’t have an adequate language to discuss the nature of what that human right issue is.  When you realize that a Chinese policeman or some social media company – a Chinese policeman can look at his phone or her phone and know more about you than you know about yourself.  There’s not a good word for that other than “creepy.”  But this is what we’re going to have to do. But AI is with us.  And as I said at the conference, back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the railroads came in, they thought people would die if they went more than 25 miles an hour.  So we’re always adapting to new technology, and we’re just going to have to make sure that the human rights message and imperative is built right into it. And so my final stop was in London, where we just had some meetings at the embassy and were listening to all the speculation about what was going to happen the next day in the election, which is now behind us. So that’s the readout. Completion of the Bougainville Referendum 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Completion of the Bougainville Referendum 12/16/2019 04:11 PM EST Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State I wish to congratulate Papua New Guinea and Bougainville on the peaceful completion of the December 7 referendum on the future political status of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.  We applaud your dedication to democracy, and we stand ready to support all our partners with next steps in the process as Papua New Guinea and Bougainville work together to determine their future. This referendum was a central pillar of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, and the United States is pleased to have assisted Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Referendum Commission and local civil society organizations, including through the efforts of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby. Senior State Department Official on Democracy and Human Rights Issues 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Senior State Department Official on Democracy and Human Rights Issues 12/16/2019 04:06 PM EST Office of the Spokesperson Washington, D.C. Press Correspondents’ Room MODERATOR:  All right, we’ll take some questions. QUESTION:  Can I — MODERATOR:  Please, Matt. QUESTION:  The OSCE – thank you.  You did or did not go to the OSCE regular meeting?  (Inaudible) confused about this. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  We – I – the short answer is we went for a little while, but we did – our job was really more to cover the civil society space and the human rights space.  That really wasn’t the main focus of the ministerial. QUESTION:  Okay.  So you mentioned that there was concern, particularly from Ukrainians or from the filmmaker — SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  From all – from all of them. QUESTION:  From everyone, okay – about what – is the U.S. with them or not with them.  At the very same time you were there, Foreign Minister Lavrov was here and having his picture taken with the President in the Oval Office.  President Zelensky still has not had a White House meeting.  So I assume that there is a fair amount of skepticism when you say, “Yeah, we’re with you.”  Can – how do you overcome that, especially given the President’s predilection for doing things that undermine your argument? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I don’t think they undermine it at all, first of all. QUESTION:  Oh, really?  You don’t think that a photograph of the President with Lavrov in the Oval Office is undermining you? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  No, I mean, because – no. QUESTION:  No? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  No, I don’t. QUESTION:  Okay. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  No, because you have to be – in order to – you’re going to – there are two kinds of relationships.  There are good relationships and there are bad relationships, right, and then there’s a continuum in between the really good and the really bad.  You have to be engaged at the highest level, even if the relationship is dicey.  We are engaged at the ground level, I mean, so there’s no doubt among the people with whom we’re dealing that – they just want reassurance who is this new guy in town, meaning me, and am I going to be just as committed to the stuff that we’re doing and being – and part of it was just showing up and showing the flag.  So I don’t see that there’s any conceivable – I mean, this is – we’re too far down on the food chain to be affected by any of what happens — QUESTION:  Can I follow up real quickly? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Sure. QUESTION:  Because also Giuliani was in Ukraine meeting with some very shady characters.  I wonder if any of your interlocutors, the human rights advocates, raised any concerns about that. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  This is – their day-to-day existence is at the level of the neighborhood, so — QUESTION:  Yeah, but I mean, these were people that are, like, prosecutors that prosecuted human rights activists and not corruption.  So that’s why I’m wondering if they raised those concerns with you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  No, they said nothing of the sort.  I mean, this is not – this would really be – this is more like going to the people who work in the local neighborhood legal aid.  This is not – they don’t care what’s happening up there.  That’s — QUESTION:  They didn’t care that Giuliani was meeting with those people? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  They – I can’t speak for them.  All I can say is it never came up. MODERATOR:  Next.  Carol. QUESTION:  To follow up on that also, Secretary Pompeo is – and Brian Hook are always saying we can’t deal with Iran when we know how they treat their own citizens.  Why can’t you say the same thing – why should we be having any dealings with Russia after you have these moving meetings with people who are being oppressed by the Russian Government? And also, I was hoping you could talk a little bit more about artificial intelligence, if you think it’s a greater threat than Huawei. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Okay, let me take those kind of in sequence.  What was the first one again? QUESTION:  Well, the first one:  Why have any dealings – why try to improve relations with Russia when we know how they treat their own citizens, which is pretty much verbatim what Secretary of State Pompeo is always saying about dealing with Iran? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Well, I mean, I think the short answer is you have to stay engaged, even with people you vehemently disagree with.  You’re going to have a relationship no matter what you do.  It’s either going to be a good one, a working one, or a bad one.  And so the – we – what I like to remind our staff is that when you get reactions like you do from the Chinese foreign ministry – “You’re interfering in our internal affairs” – the last time I checked, they signed all these international conventions, and so you’ve agreed that we can comment on stuff that you’re doing.  Look, live up to your bargains. That’s what you would have to say – I mean, this is way above my pay grade, but when I see somebody who’s on my level, I’ll make the argument that you agreed to all this; why don’t you let up on your own people and you’ll have – you can resist – I’ve said this to the Belarussians and to the people in Azerbaijan and kind of across that whole southern tier region – it’s like you got to convince your local governments that you’re not a threat to them.  Because remember, they’re transitioning from being under the orbit of the former Soviet Union; they’re afraid that President Putin is trying to kind of reach out and pull them in, and basically, the argument that you have to make is that civil society is the only way to make sure that happens. You have to be yourself, and we see that every weekend when we watch LSU and Alabama play.  I mean, there’s no doubt – I mean, I come from Ohio and it’s like we’re still very happy about – because there’s a sense of who you are that differentiates you. QUESTION:  I’m sorry.  You’re still very happy about what?  (Laughter.) SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  About being in Michigan.  About being in Michigan from Ohio.  About being in — QUESTION:  Go Buckeyes. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I mean, what I’m saying is that these people need to – they have a sense of their own identity, but it’s been suppressed for so long that the question of how do you get it back without antagonizing the wrong people.  It’s tough, but I have to say the people I met are just phenomenal.  I mean, I’m so impressed with them.  It’s incredible. Now, you wanted to know about AI as well? QUESTION:  Yeah.  Is that a bigger threat than Huawei? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  AI — QUESTION: Which you talk about all the time. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I think you’re mixing apples and oranges.  AI is a technology, okay, which basically allows machines to kind of crunch a lot of data and see patterns that the human eye can’t see.  I have a very good friend who is a radiologist, and he says, “Yeah.”  I said, “Well, is AI going to replace you when you do mammograms?”  He says no, because even if it’s really small, you have to have a human eye make the differentiation.  So when you say Huawei, Huawei is – that’s their 5G.  That’s what we’re talking about there.  And that is the internet of things, so that connects everything. So once you have access to all that data – like how many times you open your refrigerator door or plug in your toaster – I mean, that’s just more data for AI to crunch.  So I mean, that’s the – like I say, we’re going to have to develop rules of the road just like we did when we got automobiles.  There was a lot of carnage early on.  There still is, but we kind of know what a red light is now, and I want to make sure that human rights is built into that. Go ahead. MODERATOR:  Two more. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Yeah. QUESTION:  Thanks.  You said in Bratislava you met or spoke with some people for the High Commission of National Minorities? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Right. QUESTION:  I’m wondering if the issue of India came up – Kashmir, Jammu, and especially in light of the – well, I guess you had already left by the time the citizenship bill had come up. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Right. QUESTION:  But if you’ve got comments or thoughts on that, I would be interested. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  It didn’t really come up.  We were really talking about more about what they were doing.  The – we did make some comments to that effect – to – on that issue when Assistant – Acting Assistant Secretary Wells and I testified on the Hill, but I dare not go back there because I don’t remember exactly what I said.  So — QUESTION:  When was that? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  That was in early – was it November?  Do you remember? STAFF:  October. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  October, yeah. QUESTION:  Okay, thanks. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Okay. MODERATOR:  Humeyra. QUESTION:  Go ahead. QUESTION:  I just want to ask about this civil society thing in Ukraine.  When you’re talking with these human rights defenders, the civil society aspect is great, but coming from a similar country myself, how about that the judiciary and the law is not actually fully applied, and that it is applied very arbitrarily?  Like, what else are you – what tools does the U.S. have to help these people when they push back and say, well, we have a – like a borderline lawlessness situation here, and it’s like applied super arbitrarily?  It’s not really about the civil society.  So what tools, what leverage do you have?  And what can you offer them to help? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Well, let me just start with the caveats, to begin with.  The last thing we want or need is something that I just saw coming out of China the other day where the ministry of foreign affairs is saying, look, you’ve got all these groups that you support, and this is all Velvet Revolution stuff.  So what we need to make sure is that whatever we’re doing there is really capacity-building.  So we’ve – we’ve done some work with – and I’m just talking generally across that region – with some of the lawyers, helping some of the – getting them training, offering the governments themselves the ability to train judges.  So I mean, it’s – you have to start at where the – where the shoe is pinching, and if – judiciary is certainly one of them.  We want there to be real, honest-to-goodness due process, but that’s something that you have to learn over time.  So there’s lots of things we can do, but I don’t want to get into the details here because you can put people at risk by doing so. MODERATOR:  Shaun. QUESTION:  Thanks.  You mentioned that you discussed with the ILO the situation in Xinjiang.  You met with the OIC as well.  I was wondering if that came up there and what the nature of the discussions were. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Yes, it did. QUESTION:  There’s been some criticism that, with the possible exception of Turkey, that no Muslim-majority countries have really been very outspoken.  To what extent were you asking for more of a push from predominantly Muslim countries on Xinjiang? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I was, and I did, and one of the people at the – several people at the lunch were – they were very responsive.  And I think, in one respect, that to the extent that we could work closely with Turkey and get that done, because, as one of the people at the lunch put it, he says, “They speak our language.”  So it’s not just a Muslim — QUESTION:  Wait, who speaks your language? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  The Uighurs – the Uighur language — QUESTION:  The Turks? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  — is Turkic. QUESTION:  Oh. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Okay, so these are basically Turkic-speaking people in China.  And so my feeling is, just like any other endeavor you have, you’ve got to work it, and what I wanted to say is, like, if you guys are willing to work with us, we’d be more than willing to work with you and with American Muslim organizations with whom I’ve done a lot of work.  And it seems to be we all – we all need to get together and push, and we need to understand that sometimes maybe we’re not the best people to take the point.  And so that can all be worked out over time. QUESTION:  But do you find that – other than Turkey, that there are other predominantly Muslim countries that want to do more? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Yes – yeah, every single one of them saw the problem. QUESTION:  They did see the problem? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Yeah. QUESTION:  But anything concrete about doing something about it? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Well, that – the – how shall I put this – my own prior experience with some of our European friends has always been let’s have an MOU, right, and then let’s do something.  My reaction is let’s do something, and then we can do an MOU to formalize it.  So my reaction is let’s pick one or two things – we didn’t get into what those would be, but we had a couple of ideas around the table what we could do, which is more human rights generally in the Islamic countries, and I think there’s plenty of room to maneuver.  They were interested, we’re interested, and I think you just kind of keep your head on and we’ll tell you what we’re doing as soon as we start doing it. MODERATOR:  Last question from Michel. QUESTION:  Yeah, not to relate to Turkey but relate to Iraq and – this relate to Iraq and Lebanon.  How do you view the crackdown on demonstrations in Lebanon in the last two days?  And Iraq activists have been kidnapped, killed, and tortured by the militia.  What can you do to help? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I mean, part of it – what can you do to help specifically?  Stay in close touch with the people on the ground.  I mean, that’s what we have been doing.  We’ve been getting almost constant reports from the field about what’s going on, who’s doing it.  And then making sure – this is one of the things that really came out very clearly is if you mention that I’m in jail, I know that I’m not alone.  I mean, that was a constant – the fact that you guys are there and that you’re – that the Secretary or you actually mentions our name makes all the difference in the world.  And some of the conditions under which folks are held, I mean, we know what’s happening in all of these places with – I can’t say for sure who’s doing it, but they’re not all local, let’s just put it that way. QUESTION:  And in Lebanon. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Yeah, same thing.  I mean, in Lebanon, it seems to me is a real opportunity for us to stand behind – I mean, these people in a country that is – has been for years almost designed to be multi-sectarian at the end of World War I, what you have is people across the board literally wrapping themselves in the Lebanese flag.  To me, that is – that’s a story of cosmic proportion all by itself, because it shows the development in the younger generation of a civic consciousness that if we don’t get behind and in a way that’s – that respects their right of self-determination.  I mean, it’s not our job to pick their – if we really believe in democracy, then we need to let them do what they need to do and just stand behind them while they’re doing it. QUESTION:  But yesterday and before yesterday the security forces cracked down on them and there were clashes. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I expect that – I expect that’s going to happen, and hopefully that will strengthen the resolve to do more. QUESTION:  Thank you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  I mean, eventually the – we stood up to the Brits, too. QUESTION:  That was a long time ago. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Well, but the courage factor – remember what Ben Franklin said: We either hang together or we most assuredly will hang separately. MODERATOR:  Thank you, guys. QUESTION:  Thank you. SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  Have a – if I don’t see you all, have a very merry Christmas. QUESTION:  Thank you.  Same to you. FY 2020 Request for Concept Notes for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees, Displaced Iraqis, and Other Vulnerable Populations in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey 12/16/2019 You are subscribed to Population, Refugees, and Migration for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. FY 2020 Request for Concept Notes for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees, Displaced Iraqis, and Other Vulnerable Populations in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey 12/16/2019 04:54 PM EST Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Request for Concept Notes Number:  SFOP0006317 Assistance Listing (CFDA) number:  19.519 – Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Near East Announcement issuance date:  Monday, December 16, 2019 Proposal submission deadline:  Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. noon EST.  Concept notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered. Funding limits:  Program proposals must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.  See country-specific guidelines for further information. Anticipated timeframe for notification of selection for full proposal development:  PRM anticipates, but does not guarantee, that it will notify NGOs of selection for full proposal development within about one month of receipt of applications. Anticipated timeframe for award of selected full proposals:  Pending the availability of funds, PRM anticipates, but does not guarantee, it will make awards within about four to five months from the full proposal submission deadline. **ADVISORY:  All applicants must submit concept notes through the website Grants.gov (not SAMS Domestic).  Applications that are submitted through SAMS Domestic in response to this funding opportunity will be disqualified.  PRM strongly recommends submitting your concept note early to allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise on the Grants.gov website.** If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated.  We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly.  PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher. PRM recommends concept notes be submitted in Adobe PDF, as Microsoft Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations.  Exceeding page length limits, including the inclusion of cover pages, will result in disqualification.  All concept notes and required documents must be in English. See below for a concept note template. Full Text of Notice of Funding Opportunity 1. Program Description Summary:  This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process.  After reviewing concept notes and within about one month after submission, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full single-year (15 page) or multi-year (20 page) proposals with objectives, indicators, and detailed budgets for each year of the program.  Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals. As part of this NOFO, per the published Notice of Intent, organizations may apply for programs in Iraq as individual organizations or as a consortium.  In Iraq, in the education sector only, PRM intends to prioritize funding for proposals submitted by consortia.  PRM considers a consortium to be a group of no less than four NGOs that comprise an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake, or proposing to undertake, an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member. This announcement references PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy with which selected organizations must comply.  Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure your concept note submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that proposed activities are consistent with PRM’s priorities.  PRM will not consider concept note submissions that do not reflect the requirements outlined in these guidelines. A. Concept note activities should primarily support displaced Iraqi and Syrian refugee populations in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Proposal activities are restricted to beneficiaries living outside of government or UNHCR-run camps.  Because of PRM’s mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will consider funding only those projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent refugees.  In Iraq only, the 50 percent target beneficiary base may include IDPs and IDP returnees in addition to, or in lieu of, refugees.  Wherever possible, programs should pursue a community-based approach that also benefits host communities.  In Turkey, as part of the 50 percent target beneficiary base, PRM will also consider funding activities targeting refugees that are not Syrian or Iraqi, including Afghan refugees, as well as other populations of concern, such as International Protection applicants. B. Program area: Proposals must support one or more of the following program areas: Humanitarian Protection and Assistance Interim and Durable Solutions C. Concept notes must focus on one or more of the following sectors (see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for sector descriptions): Protection Child Protection Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Health Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Education Livelihoods Shelter Core Relief Items/Cash-Based Initiatives Local Government Capacity-Building (Note:  In order to ensure greater accountability for protection outcomes, all overseas assistance program proposals, regardless of sector, must include the following protection outcome indicator under one of the objectives:  Percentage of beneficiaries who report an improved sense of safety and well-being at the end of the program, disaggregated by age and gender.) (Note: If selected, full proposals will require cash and voucher assistance programs to include one indicator from the selection contained in the NGO Guidelines.) D. Applicants should submit separate proposals for each country program. No regional or multi-country proposals will be considered.  PRM will not entertain multiple proposals from one applicant for the same population in a single country, with an exception related to applicants submitting as a consortium in Iraq (see Iraq guidelines).  Upon review, PRM reserves the right to ask that an NGO merge two proposals into a single proposal.  Please see country-specific provisions for the maximum number of proposals allowed to be submitted. E. Country-Specific Guidelines: Proposed activities should primarily support refugee populations (and in the case of Iraq, IDP and/or refugee populations) in targeted countries as identified below.  PRM will only review proposals for a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent refugees or other populations of concern as outlined in the country-specific guidelines below.  Programs should, wherever possible, pursue a community-based approach that also benefits host communities.  Iraq Country-Specific Guidelines General Guidance: PRM will accept no more than two concept notes per applicant (one per target population, or one for a single population and one for a joint population of both displaced Iraqis and Syrians).  However, applications submitted by organizations as part of a consortium, including by the lead applicant, do not count toward an individual organization’s application limit.  (Note: NGOs who were approved for a two-year proposal in FY 2019 will be requested to submit the proposal for their second year of funding separately.) NGO projects should seek to fill gaps in the humanitarian response, not duplicate activities undertaken by other humanitarian organizations or government entities.  Proposals must address how the project is linked to the national response and provide a brief timeline for phase-out. NGO proposals seeking to assist Syrian refugees should be in line with activities in the UN’s 2020 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) Appeal.  NGO proposals seeking to assist Iraqi IDPs should be in line with activities in the UN’s 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan for Iraq. PRM welcomes submissions from both international and national NGOs.  PRM strongly encourages partnerships with women-led organizations when possible. For projects focusing on IDPs, Iraqi IDPs and returnees must make up more than 50 percent of total beneficiaries, and each of those groups should be substantially represented within this 50 percent.  Projects may not focus solely on returnees.  For projects focused on assisting Syrian refugees, refugees must make up more than 50 percent of total beneficiaries.  Projects assisting both Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs/returnees must ensure populations of concern make up more than 50 percent of the target population, with Syrian refugees comprising at least 30 percent of the total.  Consortia proposals for Syrian refugees exclusively will not be considered.  PRM will give preference to projects providing clear breakdowns of populations to be served.  Where feasible, organizations are strongly encouraged to allow for support of other local refugee populations and vulnerable host community members within their projects. PRM welcomes projects that focus on IDPs located in informal and non-camp settlements, particularly in acute needs areas.  When projects include returnees, NGOs are encouraged to include locations identified as hotspots of severity in IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix Returns Index. Vulnerable members of religious and ethnic minority communities are among the populations PRM seeks to assist, although PRM does not encourage programs that single out such communities to the exclusion of others, due to safety concerns and to maintain the principle of impartiality. PRM strongly encourages programs that assist Iraqi IDPs and refugees in reaching a durable solution, including return and local integration, as well as those that build the capacity of local authorities and organizations. Sectors: Projects for Iraqi IDPs and Returnees: Protection, GBV, MHPSS, Education, and Livelihoods. Projects for Syrian Refugees: Protection, Child Protection, GBV, Health, Mental Health/PSS, Livelihoods, Education, and Shelter.  Projects assisting Syrian refugees may include in-camp activities. Joint Projects for Iraqi IDPs/Returnees and Syrian Refugees*: Protection, GBV, Child Protection, MHPSS, Education, and Livelihoods. *Syrian refugees must constitute a minimum of 30 percent of the total target population to be considered a joint proposal. Projects in all sectors should adhere to the relevant Cluster’s guidance. Provision of core relief items and/or cash assistance activities will be considered if integrated in a project focused on one or more of the above sectors. In the education sector, PRM prioritizes support to children to help them prepare for, enter, participate, and succeed in formal education and to assist youth who may be unlikely to participate in the formal education sector to obtain the necessary skills to transition to adulthood.  Proposal activities in the education sector may include camp-based interventions. In the livelihoods sector, PRM will prioritize impact-driven, market-based projects that seek to improve the economic well-being of beneficiaries.  Wherever possible, projects should seek to restore or build upon former livelihoods of affected populations.  Livelihoods programs should include at least one governorate other than Ninewa and Anbar. Proposed protection projects for IDPs should focus on longer-term needs of IDPs in order to facilitate safe, voluntary, and dignified returns or local integration, including but not limited to recovery of legal documents and assistance with housing, land, and property rights.  PRM will not consider standalone mental health and psychosocial service projects for IDPs; while elements of that sector may be incorporated into broader protection programming, it should not be the focus of the project. PRM will not fund programs for the rehabilitation or reconstruction of infrastructure, to include schools. Per the Notice of Intent released in November, PRM will give priority to proposals in the education sector submitted by consortia. Duration of Activity: 12 or 24 months (24 months preferred) Funding Levels: Not less than $1 million and not more than $5 million per year (budget summary must include an estimated breakdown of cost per year). Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development:  PRM anticipates selecting approximately 20 concept notes to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.  PRM further anticipates selecting up to seven proposals to be awarded. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total:  PRM anticipates awarding up to a total of $25 million (first year only, if multi-year proposals approved) through the directed NOFO for this country. Consortia Proposals in Iraq: As part of this NOFO, organizations may apply for programs in Iraq as individual organizations or consortia in the education sector only.  PRM intends to prioritize funding for proposals submitted by consortia in the education sector.  Education sector proposals for Iraq should seek to assist Iraqi IDPs, returnees, and vulnerable host community members, as well as Syrian refugees.  Please note that consortia proposals targeting Syrian refugees in Iraq exclusively will not be considered. For consortia, one organization must be designated as the lead applicant at both the concept note and full proposal stage, as applicable.  PRM may request to review and approve substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards.  Applicants may form consortia in order to bring together organizations with varied expertise to propose a comprehensive program in one proposal.  Applications by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s application limit.  Consortia will be required to provide a description of how the partnership will be organized and how lines of authority and decision-making will be managed across all team members and between the lead applicant and associate awardees. Duration of Activity:  Program plans for two or three years (24 or 36 months) will be considered for consortia proposals. Funding floor per award:  Not less than $5 million per year for consortia proposals Funding ceiling per award:  Not more than $10 million per year for consortia proposals (Note: Budget summary must include a breakdown of cost per year.) Consortia proposals should address the following country-specific sectors: Education  Jordan Country Specific Guidelines General Guidance: PRM will accept no more than two concept notes per applicant (one for Syrian refugees and one joint proposal for Iraqi and Syrian refugees).  (Note: NGOs that were approved for a two-year proposal in FY 2019 will be requested to submit the proposal for their second year of funding separately.) In addition to Syrian and Iraqi refugees, PRM encourages projects that allow for support of vulnerable refugee populations from other nationalities within their projects; however, the primary population of concern for this notice of funding opportunity (Iraqi and/or Syrian refugees) must constitute 50% of the beneficiary population. Please include a breakdown of which nationalities will be supported by program activities. NGO projects should seek to fill gaps in the humanitarian response, not duplicate activities undertaken by large international organizations or government entities. PRM welcomes submissions from both international and national NGOs, including women-led organizations. NGOs should not seek to begin new activities that cannot be sustained absent future U.S. funding. NGO proposals seeking to assist Syrian refugees should be in line with activities in the UN’s Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) Appeal/Jordan Response Plan and should work within existing coordination structures. Applicants are strongly encouraged to engage with existing structures to provide services to refugees, including those operated by national or local actors (both governmental and NGO), rather than establishing new, parallel structures. Sectors: Protection, Child Protection, Gender-based violence prevention and response, Education, Health, Mental Health/PSS, Livelihoods, and Shelter. Provision of core relief items, cash assistance, and/or capacity development activities will be considered if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the above sectors. PRM will consider education programming that covers a critical gap for a limited period of time and if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the above sectors. PRM remains committed to supporting refugees to utilize national health systems where possible and does not support establishing parallel health care systems. PRM’s health care focus is on reaching the least served populations with primary and secondary care, including maternal and child health and preventing non-communicable diseases. In the livelihoods sector, PRM will prioritize impact-driven, market-based projects that seek to improve the economic well-being of beneficiaries. Duration of Activity: 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months (24 months preferred but PRM may consider 36 months for well-established organizations with a track record of program success and a concrete sustainability plan.) Funding Limits:  Programs for Iraqi Refugees must be no less than $750,000 and no more than $1.5 million per year (budget summary must include a breakdown of cost per year). Programs for Syrian Refugees must be no less than $1 million and not more than $4 million per year (budget summary must include a breakdown of cost per year). Joint Programs for Iraqi and Syrian Refugees* must be no less than $1 million and not more than $4 million per year (budget summary must include a breakdown of cost per year). *Iraqis must constitute a minimum of 15 percent of the target population to be considered a joint proposal. Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development:  PRM anticipates selecting approximately 15 concept notes to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.  PRM further anticipates selecting up to six proposals to be awarded. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total:  PRM anticipates awarding up to a total of $15 million (first year only, if multi-year proposals approved) through the directed NOFO for this country.   Lebanon Country-Specific Guidelines General Guidance: PRM will accept no more than two concept notes per applicant (one for Syrian refugees and one joint proposal for Iraqi and Syrian refugees).  (Note: NGOs that were approved for a two-year proposal in FY 2019 will be requested to submit the proposal for their second year of funding separately.) PRM welcomes submissions that support other refugee populations, including African refugees and Palestinian refugees from Syria, and vulnerable Lebanese host community members. NGO projects should seek to fill gaps in the humanitarian response, not duplicate activities undertaken by large international organizations or government entities. NGO activities should support the national response.  If an activity is parallel to the national response, the proposal must address how the project is linked to the national response and provide a brief timeline for phase-out. NGO proposals seeking to assist Syrian refugees should be in line with activities in the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) Appeal. PRM welcomes submissions from both international and national NGOs. PRM looks favorably on programs with the ability to operate in multiple locations and across multiple sectors, provided such work supports an integrated program approach. Sectors: Protection, Child Protection, GBV prevention and response, WASH, Education, Health, Mental Health/PSS, Livelihoods, and Shelter. Projects in all sectors should adhere to the relevant Working Group’s guidance. Provision of core relief items, cash assistance, and/or capacity development activities will be considered if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the above sectors. Provision of WASH services, namely water trucking and desludging, will be considered if it covers a critical gap for a limited period of time and if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the above sectors. In the education sector, PRM prioritizes support to help children prepare for, enter, participate, and succeed in formal education and to assist youth who may be unlikely to participate in the formal education sector to obtain the necessary skills to transition to adulthood. In the livelihoods sector, PRM will prioritize impact-driven, market-based projects that seek to improve the economic well-being of beneficiaries. Wherever possible, projects should seek to restore or build upon former livelihoods of affected populations. Duration of Activity: 12 or 24 months (24 months preferred) Funding Limits: For more than 50 percent Syrian refugees and joint proposals for Iraqi and Syrian refugees*, not less than $500,000 and not more than $4,000,000 per year (budget summary must include an estimated breakdown of cost per population). *Iraqis must constitute a minimum of 15 percent of the target population to be considered a joint proposal. Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development:  PRM anticipates selecting approximately 20 concept notes to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.  PRM further anticipates selecting up to six proposals to be awarded. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total:  PRM anticipates awarding up to a total of $18 million (first year only, if multi-year proposals approved) through the directed NOFO for this country.  Turkey Country-Specific Guidelines General Guidance: PRM will accept no more than one concept note per applicant. Please ensure that the profile of target populations (and percentage breakdown per population) is clearly outlined in each proposal. PRM welcomes submissions that support non-Syrian refugee populations, including Iraqis, Afghans, other International Protection applicants, and vulnerable Turkish host community members as part of the 50 percent target beneficiary base. NGO projects should seek to fill gaps in the humanitarian response, not duplicate activities undertaken by large international organizations or government entities. NGO activities should support the national response.  If an activity is parallel to the national response, the proposal must address how the project is linked to the national response and provide a brief timeline for phase-out. NGO proposals should be in line with activities in the UN’s Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) Appeal/Turkey Response Plan; all program activities should be consulted with the Government of Turkey. PRM welcomes submissions from both international and national NGOs. PRM strongly encourages partnerships with women-led organizations when possible. PRM looks favorably on programs with the ability to operate in multiple locations and across multiple sectors, provided such work supports an integrated program approach. Sectors: Protection, Livelihoods, Child Protection, GBV, Health, Education, Shelter, MHPSS, and Core Relief Items/Cash-Based Initiatives Provision of core relief items, cash assistance, and/or capacity development activities will be considered if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the above sectors. In the education sector, PRM prioritizes support to help refugee children enter, participate, and succeed in formal education, with a particular emphasis on reducing drop-out rates among older youth. Priority will be given to livelihoods programs that link training to employment opportunities, including vocational training opportunities with employable skills for older youth. Priority will be given to projects that include social cohesion activities and involve host community members, such as social inclusion programs for persons with disabilities. PRM’s health care focus in Turkey is on health services not covered by existing programs, as well as Mental Health/PSS. Priority will be given to projects that pilot innovative practices or that will implement proven methodologies in urban settings to address the specific needs of refugees in protracted crisis. Length: 12 or 24 months (24 months preferred) Funding Levels: Not less than $500,000 and not more than $3 million per year (budget summary must include an estimated breakdown of cost per year). Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development:  PRM anticipates selecting approximately 20 concept notes to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.  PRM further anticipates selecting for award up to six proposals. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total:  PRM anticipates awarding up to a total of $10 million (first year only, if multi-year proposals approved) through the directed NOFO for this country.   2. Federal Award Information A. Proposed program start dates: September 1, 2020 B. Duration of Activity: See country-specific guidelines above.  Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed two years from the proposed start date, unless applying as a consortium in Iraq, in which case it should not exceed three years from the start date.  Activities and budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated each year.  Continued funding after the initial 12-month period of performance requires the submission of a noncompeting single or multi-year proposal and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need.  In funding a program one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the program in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities.  Please see Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information.  Livelihoods programs are encouraged to be multi-year. (Note: A market analysis will be required if selected for full proposal development.) C. Funding Limits: See country-specific guidelines above. D. Anticipated Number of Awards: See country-specific guidelines above. E. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total: See country-specific guidelines above. 3. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations.  International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit concept notes through Grants.gov in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity.  Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of this announcement. B. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding announcement. Concept notes and later proposals will be considered that describe the sources and amounts of additional funding that may be utilized to compliment PRM funding, and meet the following criteria: Are not paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award; Are verifiable from the non-Federal entity’s records; Are not included as contributions for any other Federal award; and Are necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives. Please include this information in the Budget Summary of the concept note submission and separate from the proposed budget. (Note: Though favorably looked upon, inclusion will not result in a competitive ranking increase when evaluated.) 4. Other A. Concept notes and eventually full proposals must encompass relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance, especially Sphere Standards. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards including new guidance on proposals for programs in urban areas. B. PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the beneficiary population (women; children; adolescents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals; older persons; the sick; persons with disabilities; and other religious, ethnic, or other minorities) and can demonstrate what steps have been taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively. C. PRM will accept concept notes from any NGO working in the above-mentioned sectors although, given budgetar ... [Message clipped]  View entire message ReplyForward