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.

Maldives

In Maldives, UNDP supported the development of the five-year Action Plan of the National Human Rights Commission (HRCM) in accordance with its Strategic Plan. A mapping exercise to define the HRCM’s priorities and consultations with civil society organizations (CSOs) and minority groups accompanied the development process. The consultations with CSOs, especially the ones representing vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, proved critical in understanding accessibility gaps, which translated into action points under the strategic objectives in the draft Action Plan. By supporting the development of this plan, UNDP was able to initiate a wider conversation on the role of civil society in monitoring the human rights situation and advocate for changes, including on gender mainstreaming and the inclusion of young people in human rights promotion activities.

Based on the findings of the survey that UNDP and the HRCM conducted in 2020, UNDP worked with the Commission to strengthen its cooperation with civil society. A total of 124 CSOs from 16 regional atolls underwent training conducted by the HRCM advocacy officers on human rights, the capabilities of CSOs in protecting human rights, and their role as human rights defenders.

In collaboration with the Business and Human Rights (BHR) Asia team at UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP delivered two intensive trainings for the 34 HRCM staff members on business and human rights and on the human rights-based approach to programming. As a result of UNDP-led advocacy campaign, the Attorney General’s Office in Maldives (the leading body on human rights in the government) made a commitment to start integrating the BHR in the policy space of Maldives and to initiate discussions and activities to elaborate policy framework, support research and institutional setup. Efforts are underway to start the first dialogue on BHR in the country, between state bodies and businesses.

Civil society group presentation
Group presentation at the civil society forum to consult on the National Human Rights Action Plan.Photo: UNDP

Key Results: Maldives

124 CSOs from 16 regional atolls of the country received training on the role of CSOs in human rights promotion and protection.

11 CSOs, including those representing minorities and vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, participated in UNDP-supported consultations with National Human Rights Commission to develop its five-year Action Plan. The Action Plan covers three focus areas, has 17 goals, 35 strategic objectives, 80 outcome/result areas and their indicative activities.

34 HRCM staff members participated in the trainings on the human rights-based approach and Business and Human Rights delivered by UNDP’s Business and Human Rights Asia team.