Equal Access Nepal and United Nations Development Fund for Women have been selected as beneficiaries of the United Nations Democracy Fund.

A press statement issued by the UN centre in Kathmandu said, 125 projects selected from around the world from over 1,300 proposals for the grants totaling US$ 36 million.

UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has expressed his belief that the initial response from applicants is powerful evidence of the strong demand for support from the UN for this very important agenda.

He has called on all Member States to support the Democracy Fund and use it as an innovative and flexible mechanism for advancing the UN democracy agenda, the statement added

The UN Democracy Fund was established by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2005 and endorsed by Member States at their 2005 September Summit.

The primary purpose of the Democracy Fund is to promote democracy by providing assistance for projects that consolidate and strengthen democratic institutions and facilitate democratic governance.