Westminster Foundation for Democracy
Encyclopedia
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is a United Kingdom
non-departmental public body
set up to promote democratic institutions
overseas. It was established in March 1992 and registered as a company limited by guarantee
. It receives funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
and the Department for International Development
. The current chair of the organisation is Gary Streeter
and the current chief executive is Linda Duffield.
WFD works to achieve sustainable political change in emerging democracies. Working with and through partner organisations, the Foundation seeks to strengthen the institutions of democracy, principally political parties (through the work of the UK political parties), parliaments and the range of institutions that make up civil society – non-governmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions and free media, among others.
Its stated goal is “to provide flexible and imaginative funding assistance to countries managing the difficult transition to democracy in central and eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.”
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
non-departmental public body
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
set up to promote democratic institutions
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
overseas. It was established in March 1992 and registered as a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
. It receives funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
and the Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
. The current chair of the organisation is Gary Streeter
Gary Streeter
Gary Nicholas Streeter is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. From 1997 he was Member of Parliament for South West Devon, having previously been the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton between 1992 and 1997...
and the current chief executive is Linda Duffield.
WFD works to achieve sustainable political change in emerging democracies. Working with and through partner organisations, the Foundation seeks to strengthen the institutions of democracy, principally political parties (through the work of the UK political parties), parliaments and the range of institutions that make up civil society – non-governmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions and free media, among others.
Its stated goal is “to provide flexible and imaginative funding assistance to countries managing the difficult transition to democracy in central and eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.”
See also
- National Endowment for DemocracyNational Endowment for DemocracyThe National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is a U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote US-friendly democracy by providing cash grants funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress...
, a similar organization based in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
External links
- Westminster Foundation for Democracy: official website