A/HRC/22/19 Donor Amount (United States dollars) Date of receipt 347 826 6 November 2012 10 000 8 November 2011 Pledges Denmark Turkey Total pledges 357 826 17. After two consecutive years of dramatic decreases in contributions received by the Fund, in 2012 renewed outreach and fund-raising efforts led to the consolidation of the support of donors at the level reached in 2011, thus allowing the Board of Trustees not to have to apply further cuts to grants. 18. Notwithstanding such efforts, the diminished resources available remain a concern, as the Fund is still unable to meet all demands for support that it receives, in particular in relation to grave human rights emergencies, such as the unfolding crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic. For 2013, more than 280 applications were received, requesting almost $15 million in support, against less than $7 million available for grants. 19. At its thirty-sixth session, the Board of Trustees considered a total of 266 admissible project proposals aimed at providing direct assistance to victims of torture and their family members, amounting to $14,823,044. Specifically, it considered 241 ongoing project proposals amounting to $14,070,066 and 19 new project proposals amounting to $633,137. The Board also considered requests for six projects, amounting to $119,841, for training and seminars for professionals assisting victims of torture. 20. The Board considered positively a total of 262 projects. It recommended approval for prompt disbursement of a total of 247 project grants in more than 70 countries for a total amount of $6,964,100. It also recommended pre-approval for 15 projects grants for a total amount of $227,500, to be disbursed when the relevant funds become available. 21. The Board also recommended that $300,000 be set aside for emergency grants to be considered in the course of 2013, through its intersessional procedure. 22. Of note, some of the restraining measures introduced by the Board at its previous session were reiterated by the Board. For the second consecutive year, support for ongoing grantees was capped, as a rule, at $80,000 (instead of the usual $200,000) and, in the case of first-time grantees, at $20,000 (instead of the usual $50,000). Funding for training and seminars for professionals assisting victims was capped at $7,500 (instead of the usual $30,000). IV. Making a contribution 23. Governments, non-governmental organizations and other private or public entities can contribute to the Fund. For more information on how to contribute and Fund details, donors are requested to contact the secretariat of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; e-mail: unvfvt@ohchr.org; telephone: +41-22-917-9624; fax: +41-22-917-9017. 6