Project Announcement: Audit of Department of State Programs to Support Democracy and Human Rights in Selected European and Eurasian Countries

The Ukraine-related activities of the Department of State (Department) are a top oversight priority for the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Accordingly, OIG will conduct an audit with the primary objectives of determining whether the Department implemented democracy and human rights programming in selected European and Eurasian countries at risk of democratic backsliding in a strategic and coordinated manner and whether the programming is achieving intended results.

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The revitalization of democracy is a top U.S. national security priority. According to the Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Joint Strategic Plan, democracy and respect for human rights are under threat around the world from authoritarian governments that seek to challenge democratic institutions and human rights principles and to discredit U.S. global leadership. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further raised concerns about the stability of democratic institutions in Eastern Europe in particular. Given increased U.S. interests in the region over the last 2 years, it is essential for the Department to ensure that foreign assistance programs intended to address democracy and human rights are managed effectively and produce meaningful results.

OIG will determine the extent to which Department bureaus and overseas missions have aligned their strategies to inform democracy and human rights programming, including programming addressing democratic backsliding. OIG will also determine the extent to which Department bureaus have coordinated with each other regarding their implementation of democracy and human rights programs in countries at risk of democratic backsliding. Finally, OIG will determine the extent to which Department-funded democracy and human rights programs in countries at risk of democratic backsliding are aligned with related strategies, achieving intended results, and informing adjustments to the Department’s approach. The audit will specifically focus on Department-funded foreign assistance democracy and human rights programs carried out from FY 2019 to FY 2023 in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

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Visit OIG’s Ukraine Response Oversight page to follow our work in this area and contact us at [email protected] for additional information.

U.S. Department of State OIG
www.stateoig.gov