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.

South Sudan

In South Sudan, UNDP facilitated the deployment of eight mobile courts to remote areas lacking statutory judicial institutions, such as Bor, Pibor, Maban, Ruweng, Terekeka, Kapoeta and Malakal. In these locations, many cases are handled by customary authorities outside their remit, often resulting in negative outcomes for women. The mobile courts consist of national judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, clerks, as well as other court personnel and are usually deployed for a month at a time. On site, mobile courts hear cases varying from rape and murder to less serious offenses, with some cases having been backlogged and awaiting trial for years. In 2021, resolution rates rose to 86 percent from 57.6 percent in the preceding year, with the resolution rate reaching up to 93 percent in the last four deployments of the last quarter of the year. These courts ensured that 406 claimants and over 400 suspects in pre-trial detention received access to fair and impartial justice. In addition, they enhanced the confidence in both legitimacy of statutory law, as well as trust in the integrity and delivery of justice in the country.

In order to combat reoffending, UNDP supported vocational training for 359 inmates in three central prisons in South Sudan. The training sought to endow prisoners with skills for rehabilitation and reintegration into society, and to enable them to gain access to a livelihood in one of the most poverty-stricken nations in the world. Upon their release, 307 beneficiaries managed to find a job, opted for self-employment, or continued to participate in UNDP-supported activities as trainers. As the programme develops, other training participants who remained deprived of their liberty could generate income by producing goods on site.

In Juba, UNDP supported the setup of a unified case management system for the courts, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the South Sudan National Police Service. For years, poor case management systems led to the loss of files, inefficient response, difficulties in identifying parties to a case, and protracted consideration of backlogged cases. In 2021, 10,836 cases were recorded through the new system, of which 2,508 cases were brought by female claimants.

In 2021, UNDP continued to work with various justice chain actors to ensure equal access to justice for all, with a particular focus on those most at risk at being left behind, including women, children, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), displaced populations, as well as persons living with HIV. To that end, Justice and Confidence Centers (JCCs) were established in partnership with civil society to provide legal advice and judicial representation in cases related to divorce, property rights, as well as SGBV. 2,159 individuals (74 percent female) benefitted from these services in six different locations across the country over the course of 2021.

A judge of a mobile court is hearing a case in Maban, South Sudan. ©Kymberly Bays, UNDP
A judge of a mobile court is hearing a case in Maban, South Sudan.Photo: Kymberly Bays, UNDP

Key Results: South Sudan

2,836,586 people (51% women) in remote communities were reached and their awareness about human rights, legal aid and referral pathways was strengthened. This was achieved in partnership with local civil society organizations, through in-person community outreach and radio broadcasts.

10,836 cases were recorded through the new Case Monitoring Information Management System established for the judiciary, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, as well as the South Sudan National Police Service in Juba. Out of this number, 2,508 cases were brought by female claimants.

290 meetings of Police-Community Relations Committee (PCRC) were held in ten locations where UNDP works with the South Sudan National Police Service to promote gender-responsive policing and enhanced women’s participation in community security. In 2021, 5,371 individuals (including 2,476 women) participated in the committees. 52 new PCRCs were established with 478 people (including 208 women) trained on roles and responsibilities in community policing.