Impact by Regions, Countries & Territories

UNDP’s Global Programme supports crisis-affected contexts across all regions to strengthen the rule of law and human rights. In this section, we present five regional overviews, detailing our priorities and approach depending on the context, as well as feature select country and territory results from 2021.

Five contexts from the list (Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Mali and Yemen) illustrate the achievements of the Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law (GFP). In peacekeeping missions and transition settings, UNDP’s Global Programme works through the GFP to deliver integrated assistance with our UN partners.

GFP Global Focal Point Highlights

Africa

Arab States

Latin America & The Caribbean

Asia-Pacific

Europe & Central Asia

Political
Engagement

The rule of law is essential for sustainable peace and resilient economies, as well as for the prevention or recurrence of conflict. To prevent or address injustice, inequalities or democratic deficits, UNDP works with multiple stakeholders to operate in a way that is consistent with the rule of law and creates opportunities for all individuals to exercise their rights and access justice.

Institution
Building

The importance of strong institutions is more evident than ever as countries and communities respond to disruption, whether because of public health restrictions, climate change or political upheaval. Limitations on public gatherings and travel have revealed the need for institutions that are resilient to disruption.

Community
Security

2021 was a pivotal year that saw various developments affecting peace and security around the world. Civic space continued to shrink and the social contract between states and citizens was increasingly challenged, particularly during and after the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Facing distressing consequences of climate change, states and communities are forced to manage more cross-border conflicts, triggered by the displacement of people seeking increasingly scarce resources.

Human Rights
Systems

The scope of human rights challenges is widening, from eroded public trust and shrinking civic space to ongoing inequality and human rights impacts in the socio-economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerging risks in the digital sphere. National human rights institutions (NHRIs), along with other human rights defenders, are facing rising and sophisticated forms of reprisals for carrying out their work.

Access to
Justice

Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) of the 2030 Agenda highlights the importance of access to justice for all for the development of peaceful and inclusive societies. Meaningful access to justice can only be achieved when people know their rights, have the opportunities, agency and capacities to claim them, and have access to independent, inclusive and people-centred justice systems that will respond in a timely, fair and effective manner.

Transitional
Justice

Without justice, there can be no lasting peace. In post-conflict, crisis-affected and fragile contexts, truth-seeking initiatives and reconciliation efforts are essential to bring peace to affected communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down transitional processes as states prioritized their response to the health crisis and measures to support the economy.

Gender
Justice

In 2021, the continued erosion of democracy and the spread of authoritarian trends in politics in many parts of the world contributed to a backlash against women’s rights. The COVID-19 crisis has reversed some of the hard-won gender parity gains by exacerbating pre-existing inequalities and power imbalances. It has also caused a dramatic increase in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). All these challenges have been particularly acute in conflict, fragile and crisis-affected settings.

Innovation

New ideas and new strategies are critical to building sustainable and effective development approaches that really meet people’s needs. Technologies and globalization raise new human rights concerns and threaten the rule of law. Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to limit people’s access to basic services. UNDP connected expertise across the globe to learn and adapt. Creating a culture of curiosity and experimentation, these efforts ensured that local needs and expertise were combined with emerging models to bring strategic thinking to people-centred development goals.

Niger

In Niger, UNDP engaged in preparatory activities to elaborate a strategy to strengthen and expand its programming on the rule of law, security, justice and human rights. The strategy will be drafted in line with the Country Programme Document for 2023-2027 and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2022-2026. The new strategy will be based on the previous rule of law programming in Niger and will cover such areas as community reintegration, capitalizing on existing experiences on reintegration and stabilization in Lake Chad Basin and Liptako-Gourma areas. To ensure this offer is validated and implemented and to enhance effective participation of national actors, UNDP will partner with such key government institutions as the National Court for Human Rights, the High Authority for Peace Consolidation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry for Women Empowerment.

In May and August 2021, the security forces of Niger pushed back two Boko Haram attacks due to their strengthened effective presence and patrols in seven locations. UNDP supported the deployment of more than 200 officers in Baroua and Bosso, the areas most prone to the attacks.

A total of 12,519 people could return to their homes as the improved security conditions allowed the Government of Niger to elaborate a return policy for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in June 2021.

In the areas of the country affected by violent extremism, the Government of Niger is working on an integrated national strategy for community reintegration. To support these efforts, UNDP will commission a baseline study that will help draw lessons from previous activities on community reintegration, reinforce a gender and age-sensitive approach, and identify existing gaps for programmatic intervention. In addition, consultations will be organized with national authorities and partners both in Niamey, the capital, and in the affected regions of Diffa and Tillabéry. Further, UNDP will lead the development of joint programmatic support in partnership with the IOM and UNICEF, the UN agencies involved in community reintegration. A framework document will be designed to operationalize the national strategy. The cooperation will capitalize on existing support, especially on the reintegration of ex-Boko Haram fighters, based on the ongoing evaluations by the Lake Chad Basin Stabilization Secretariat.

Collective session for the exit ceremony
Collective session to prepare for the exit ceremony from the Goudoumaria center for reintegration of former Boko Haram associates.Photo: UNDP Niger

Key Results: Niger

In seven locations, the security forces reinforced their patrols and effective presence due to the support from the Lake Chad Basin Stabilization Facility. Over 200 security personnel were deployed in Baroua and Bosso.

Two Boko Haram attacks were pushed back in May and August 2021.

A total of 12,519 people returned home in 2021 as the improved security conditions allowed the Government of Niger to elaborate a return policy for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in June 2021.