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.

Myanmar

In Myanmar, UNDP managed to continue implementing its legal empowerment programme in the midst of the escalating conflict and narrowing civic space. Moreover, the programme expanded over the year to cover 500 villages in 47 of Myanmar’s 330 townships in Rakhine, Kachin and northern Shan States. The programme brings together legal aid providers, land rights civil society organizations (CSOs) and five networks of 281 paralegals (70 percent of whom are women). 17,786 ethnic minority people (50 percent IDPs and 50 percent women) benefitted directly from legal assistance primarily on housing, land and property rights (HLP). Land registration was obtained in 423 cases (women benefitted in 33 percent of cases), 450 acres of village land boundaries were demarcated, and legal representation was provided for 261 cases (women were the beneficiaries in 32 percent of cases).

In response to the increasing pressure on Myanmar’s civic space, UNDP established a Civil Society Unit (CSU), the first entity in the UN system in Myanmar dedicated to sustaining civil society. In 2021, the CSU implemented UNDP’s legal and human rights programming and worked to build trust and encourage cooperation with national civil society actors. Through the CSU, UNDP completed a rapid assessment of over 250 CSOs in seven states and regions and held outreach meetings with a further 200 CSOs. The security of all partner CSO offices was upgraded, including by providing software and equipment to minimize digital threats.

To ensure swift action can be taken to support UNDP’s CSO partners and its own personnel in a difficult situation, the CSU developed practical guidelines that help office management make quick decisions as events arise. 418 CSO representatives took part in 12 information sessions to improve their understanding of and resilience to the worsening security environment. 1,324 persons at risk in seven states and regions benefitted from legal consultations (online and in person), representation in court and other practical assistance (mainly logistical and financial); women comprised 62 percent of beneficiaries.

Animated films produced with Yangon Film School to raise rights awareness in Myanmar. ©UNDP
Animated films produced with Yangon Film School to raise rights awareness in Myanmar.Photo: UNDP

Key Results: Myanmar

17,786 ethnic minority people (49% women) were directly reached in conflict locations with legal information and assistance. A further 266,173 people were reached through media and social media campaigns implemented by 11 partner civil society organizations. Over 10,500 resources with legal information were distributed.

UNDP supported Frontier Magazine’s Doh Athan (“Our Voice”) series of podcasts, web articles and videos on broad human rights issues, reaching 4,914,819 people through Facebook alone and many millions more through the Voice of America national radio broadcasts of the same content. Four short, animated films for social media were produced with Yangon Film School to raise public awareness of labor rights, land registration, women’s rights to inherit property, and human rights impacts of business activity.

1,324 persons at risk in seven states and regions benefitted from legal consultations (online and in person), representation in court and other practical assistance (mainly logistical and financial); women comprised 62% of beneficiaries.