Promoting Accountability in Iraq and Syria For Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes | SFOP0007096

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0007096

The grant opportunity titled "Promoting Accountability in Iraq and Syria For Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes" (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0007096) is a U.S. Department of State funding call focused on strengthening real-world capacity to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes committed in Iraq and Syria. Issued by the Department of State (Assistance Coordination) as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism, it signals that the Department expects to be closely involved throughout implementation rather than operating at arm's length. The funding activity area is categorized under Law, Justice, and Legal Services (CFDA 19.600), and it is designed for applicants able to work in complex, high-risk environments while meeting rigorous legal and evidentiary standards.

At the core of the program is practical support for criminal accountability efforts related to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Proposals are expected to include components that build local investigative, forensic, and judicial skills, with a strong emphasis on collecting and preserving evidence properly and maintaining a defensible chain of custody. The opportunity is not limited to training in the abstract; it explicitly targets activities that directly support active investigations and prosecutions in available jurisdictions. That includes helping develop case files, supporting the drafting and filing of criminal complaints, organizing and analyzing information in ways prosecutors can use, and sharing relevant information with competent national authorities. In other words, the Department is looking for programs that translate capacity building into concrete accountability outcomes, rather than general rule-of-law programming.

A major requirement is coordination and deconfliction with other ongoing transitional justice and accountability initiatives. Applicants must explain how their work will complement, rather than duplicate or interfere with, efforts already underway by other U.S. government entities, international donors, the United Nations, other international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. This means proposals should map the existing landscape of accountability and transitional justice work, identify who is doing what, and describe coordination mechanisms to avoid parallel systems, conflicting evidence handling practices, or competition over sensitive sources and information. The expectation is that grantees will be capable of operating within a crowded, politically sensitive space where multiple actors may be collecting evidence, supporting victims, and engaging national institutions at the same time.

The Department also stresses adaptability and responsiveness. Applicants must provide a plan showing how they will remain flexible in the face of time-sensitive needs that often arise in atrocity crime contexts, such as sudden access to a crime scene, unexpected legal windows for filing actions, emergent witness protection concerns, or rapid shifts in local security conditions. Proposals must include credible approaches to monitoring and evaluation, demonstrating how the applicant will track progress, assess effectiveness, and adjust programming as conditions change. Just as important is a clear plan for ongoing coordination with the Department of State, other relevant U.S. government entities, and international donors, reflecting the cooperative agreement structure and the likelihood of regular joint planning, information sharing, and implementation oversight.

Because the operating environments in Iraq and Syria are described as dynamic and challenging, applicants are expected to show they understand the practical realities of implementation and monitoring in those contexts. This typically implies planning for security constraints, access limitations, remote management or third-party monitoring where necessary, and safeguards to protect victims, witnesses, and staff. It also implies an understanding that evidence handling in conflict and post-conflict settings is especially vulnerable to contamination, loss, intimidation, and politicization, which is why chain of custody and standardized procedures are so heavily emphasized.

Substantively, applicants must demonstrate strong competence in international criminal law and in operational investigative and prosecutorial work. The opportunity specifically calls for a clear understanding of the jurisdictions that may be available to pursue criminal accountability for atrocities linked to Iraq and Syria. That requirement points to the need for applicants to think concretely about where and how cases can be brought, what legal frameworks apply, what evidentiary thresholds must be met, and how information can be responsibly shared with national authorities and other legitimate accountability mechanisms. The overall goal is to move beyond documentation for historical record alone and toward documentation and investigative support that can stand up in court and contribute to real prosecutions.

In terms of funding parameters, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of $4,500,000 and anticipated up to four awards. The posting indicates it was created June 12, 2020, with an original closing date of July 27, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification to be provided in the full eligibility text of the announcement, which typically means a range of qualified organizations may apply as long as they meet the specific criteria laid out in the complete notice.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted accountability and capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening the end-to-end pipeline of atrocity crime justice: professional evidence collection and preservation, credible chain-of-custody practices, investigative case development, prosecutorial support, and structured cooperation with national and international stakeholders. The cooperative agreement format underscores that the Department of State intends to play a substantial, hands-on role in shaping and overseeing implementation to ensure alignment with broader U.S. and international accountability efforts in Iraq and Syria.

• The Department of State, Assistance Coordination in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting Accountability in Iraq and Syria For Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and War Crimes" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.600.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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