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.

Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, UNDP promoted human rights due diligence and offered technical assistance to policy work related to the establishment of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, including in partnership with the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) and civil society organizations (CSOs). One area of focus was to raise awareness and train women from Dansokoya and Kafesimra in Tonkolili district in Northern Sierra Leone. A total of 75 women benefitted from an awareness raising programme, and 20 women underwent training on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights (UNGP) as well as on issues related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The women who participated in these activities are Mammy Queens, section chairladies and opinion leaders in their communities, private entrepreneurs or farmers. As a result, women have become more active in decision-making affecting their chiefdom. Particularly important is the establishment of a referral system in rural communities for SGBV survivors. Members of the Chiefdom Multi-Stakeholders Platform established in Dansokoya and Kafesimra Chiefdoms perform this referral function supporting survivors in accessing either the Family Support Unit, police stations or hospitals, based on their assessment of survivor’s needs.

In 2021, progress was achieved on women’s empowerment and their effective participation in decision-making and business planning. For instance, women received seats and voice during meetings with potential investors who visited chiefdoms to explore opportunities to commence business operations.

UNDP’s programming in Sierra Leone enhanced the dialogue between businesses and citizens, as well as engagement of traditional authorities leading to a gradual change in how companies allocate their development funds. Following training and community outreach, the Chiefdom Multi-Stakeholders’ Platform mapped 13 big companies operating in the chiefdoms of Dansokoya and Kafesimra by the end of 2021, mining gold, black stone and bauxite. Participants, mostly members of the women’s association “Women in Mining” successfully advocated for the allocation of the funds for women’s agricultural activities directly to women. Prior to UNDP’s training and outreach activities and its support to the CSO “Community Action for Human Security”, such funds were often channeled through local chiefs and never reached their end beneficiaries.

In Moyamba district, Mano Dasse Chiefdom, UNDP-supported activities on Business and Human Rights empowered beneficiaries with knowledge and tools to protect their rights and seek redress. In an emblematic case, business operations were suspended following a claim from a landowner who had questioned the acquisition of his plot by a mining company. Following his complaint, the company launched an internal inquiry and committed to follow the human rights due diligence policy. This case demonstrated the trend of creating an enabling environment and human rights-based approaches applied by businesses.

UNDP supported eight meetings of the Chiefdom Multi-Stakeholders Platform and Grievance Redress Mechanism bringing together local councilors, traditional authorities, leaders of the women’s association, representatives of community-based organizations, and others. The meetings fostered interactions among local communities and largescale companies enabling communities to receive feedback on community development initiatives these companies were undertaking.

Two-day training participants
Participants of a two-day training on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Kayamba chiefdom, Moyamba district, Sierra Leone.Photo: UNDP

Key Results: Sierra Leone

Four civil society organizations received financial and expert support to conduct eight community forums in eight chiefdoms in the districts of Tonkolili, Kenema, Pujehun and Moyamba. 436 participants (236 men and 200 women) included members of the Ward Development Committees, local councils, civil society organizations, women leaders and youth groups.

120 people (62 men, 58 women) benefitted from six training programmes on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), sexual and gender-based violence, and the new provisions of the amended Sexual Offences Act of 2019.

Over 182,000 people were reached through eight radio talk shows dedicated to UNGP, relevant national laws and policies. This public campaign opened space for community participation and interaction that is reshaping the attitudes and practices of local authorities and companies towards the rural communities that host them.