Rule of Law and Human
Rights Global Programme
Impact
Thematic focus
 = Global Focal Point

Africa

Arab states

Asia-Pacific

Europe and Central Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Justice Futures CoLab

The Justice Futures CoLab was launched to promote new ways of thinking and approaching complex justice and rule of law challenges. The CoLab illustrates UNDP’s commitment and strategy to do more and do better (and differently). A more strategic, people-centred and rights-based approach is taken to ensure meaningful access to justice for all, starting with those most at risk of being left behind.

Human rights systems

UNDP continues to support strengthening national human rights systems (NHRIs). Independent, effective and pluralistic NHRIs are cornerstones of national systems to promote and protect human rights.

Anti-racism

In 2021, after racial justice protests and movements emerged in the United States and other parts of the world, the United Nations and its various funds, programmes and other entities also took up a renewed commitment to fight against racism and racial discrimination both within the organization and also through their approaches.

Business and human rights

UNDP has been supporting the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) since 2016. This support has involved programming across the three pillars of the protect, respect and remedy framework, engaging with states, business actors and civil society.

Community security

The global context has become ever more challenging with ongoing war, coups d‘état, attempted coups d‘état, turmoil and instability in several countries. In the midst of such widespread political tension and fragility, UNDP has stayed the course towards people-centred security by promoting solutions that strengthen state institutions in line with people’s needs.

Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law

The UN Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law (GFP) is a joint arrangement for delivery of the rule of law in fragile settings. Co-chaired by UNDP and the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO), GFP reinforces One-UN approach at the global and national levels to address violent conflicts, protect human rights and restore justice and security for people affected by crisis and conflict.

Regional overview - Africa

Liberia

Impact by Regions,
Countries & Territories
Africa

In Liberia, to foster access to justice and improve the environment for human rights, UNDP’s Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development (the Global Programme) provided funding to the UN Joint Programme on Rule of Law.

Partnerships

The programme was developed and is implemented by four UN agencies – UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR).

The Joint Programme strengthened local capacities to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence and national capacity for the implementation of the national Sexual and Gender-based Violence Road Map. The digital case management system developed for the judiciary and the Liberia National Police improved access to justice for sexual and gender-based violence survivors.

To strengthen local capacities for preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence, UNDP provided technical and financial support to women-led civil society organization (CSO) networks in Bong and Nimba Counties. Civic interventions to support gender-based violence survivors included monitoring the performance of the specialized Criminal Court E dedicated to the adjudication of sexual and gender-based violence cases; creating awareness and educating communities on Court E, gender-based violence and human rights; identifying and supporting survivors to access justice, as well as helping to resolve minor civil disputes in their communities and forwarding criminal cases to the relevant authorities.

Gender equality

Leave No One Behind

As a result, over 70 people (95.8 percent women) have accessed justice and psychosocial support, including 24 rape survivors, 10 survivors of domestic violence, individuals involved in seven property or land dispute cases and six cases on debt. Further, the women-led CSO networks assisted 24 sexual and gender-based violence survivors with filing their cases in courts, out of which four cases have already been adjudicated with perpetrators convicted.

The resolution of these cases has contributed to maintaining peace and social cohesion in the communities. Feedback from women indicates that their partners tend to increasingly refrain from violence due to the knowledge that they may be brought before Court E for accountability.

Innovation

UNDP-supported interventions strengthened the national capacity to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate sexual and gender-based violence and other criminal and civil cases by digitizing case management. The Judicial Case Management Information System (CMIS) and the Liberia National Police Crime Statistics Information System (CSIS) were operationalized. CMIS allows the judiciary to digitally collect and enter cases online to enable their accessibility to lawyers and judges, thereby facilitating effective and efficient adjudication. CSIS enables the police to electronically collect, enter and access crime statistics anywhere in the country, disaggregating cases by gender and providing data on the patterns of gender-based violence.

lessons learned

A briefing note “Innovative online case management system ushers Liberia’s Judiciary into the digital age” was prepared and disseminated to share lessons learned for the successful and sustainable rollout of online case management systems. Identified good practices include co-creation with national partners and users, engaging local experts, applying an iterative approach based on a clear set of targets, regular feedback sessions, monitoring, and management oversight, and training of a core group of national personnel.

The availability and application of forensic evidence in the investigation and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence cases in Liberia is relatively new. As such, collection and storage of forensic evidence is still a challenge. To support national stakeholders in addressing this challenge, the Joint Programme facilitated training for 93 sexual and gender-based violence response chain actors (including 51 women) on the collection, preservation and use of forensic evidence while investigating and prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence cases. The new skills enabled the response chain actors, particularly social and health workers, police and prosecutors, to provide stronger evidence in court to adjudicate and convict perpetrators. This has contributed to increased prosecution and conviction of perpetrators, as is evident from the increased resolution rates of sexual and gender-based violence cases: 43.7 percent in 2022 compared to 32.8 percent in 2021.

Key
results
  • In the communities where UNDP and civil society networks provided legal support, including judicial representations, women indicate that their partners tend to increasingly refrain from violence due to the knowledge that they may be brought to account.
  • Resolution of sexual and gender-based violence cases in courts increased by 10 percent: from 32.8 percent in 2021 to 43.7 percent in 2022.
  • The Judicial Case Management Information System (CMIS) and the Liberia National Police Crime Statistics Information System (CSIS) were developed and are operational, enabling access to real-time collection, entry and access of information on cases and crime statistics. The information systems strengthened the national capacity to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate sexual and gender-based violence and other criminal and civil cases.

  1. The Joint Programme collaborated with two national CSOs – Efficient Research and Development Institution (ERDI) and Development Education, Learning and Training in Action-Human Rights Foundation (DELTA-HRF) – to facilitate mobilization, training, deployment and other logistical support to the women-led CSO networks to implement project interventions in various communities in support of survivors of gender-based violence.