Technical support to Team Europe Democracy (TED) Initiative

The EU is a promoter and defender of democracy, human rights, gender equality and the rule of law, both across the world and within its own borders. The majority of the world"s poor live in middle-income countries, characterised by weak governance, high inequality and weak democracy (IDEA, 2023). Improving democracy is not peripheral to alleviating poverty, but rather central. Nowadays, democratic values are challenged in many contexts, with an increase in executive power, erosion of democratic norms, and a general constriction of fundamental freedoms, even in consolidated democracies. The level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen in 2022 is down to levels last found around 1986. The majority of partner countries are categorised as "autocracies" by research institutions, making democracy support a priority to bringing lasting positive change. In the current context of political polarisation and social fracture, the need for rebuilding alliances on democracy and around democracy support is all the greater. Against this backdrop, the European Commission"s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) launched in December 2021 the Team Europe Democracy (TED). TED"s main aim is to create a coordinated strategic European response in support of democracy that is effectively steered worldwide by the TED Secretariat. This is currently done by enhancing evidence-based European democracy support; establishing and strengthening networks, producing, and sharing best practices, approaches and tools on democracy support; and providing support for the Team Europe approach on democracy support including through expert technical assistance at partner country level. The TED Secretariat is represented by staff members of GIZ and Enabel. The objective of this tender is to contribute to the implementation of the third output of TED (Country-level expertise) by availing technical expertise to EU Delegations in partner countries that identified democratic governance as a priority of their Multi-Annual Indicative Programmes and requested support from the TED Secretariat. The technical support will assist EU Delegations, in coordinating democracy support actions with member states representatives, agencies and, where relevant, partner country stakeholders. These will be done, among other possible activities, by mapping actors and existing measures, identifying common actions, synergies, best practices on democracy support, building the capacities of relevant stakeholders, facilitating joint efforts and making them more visible and coherent.