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

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Impact by Regions,
Countries & Territories
Europe and Central Asia

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP launched an innovative Eco-Justice project to strengthen the environmental rule of law in the country. The project has four main components: harmonizing the national legislation with the European Union norms; strengthening procedural framework for law enforcement agencies; capacity building for students and justice practitioners; and public awareness and education on environmental human rights. To facilitate the engagement with environmental civil society organizations (CSOs) and the overall project implementation scheduled for 2023, UNDP ensured the translation of its 2022 Environmental Justice Guidance Note from English into Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

Innovation

The project team held consultations with judicial and prosecutorial training centres across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). A preliminary agreement was reached on organizing joint learning events on environmental criminal law in June and September 2023. Although damage to the environment is criminalized in BiH criminal codes, the case law in this area is still underdeveloped, with most cases concerning illegal logging and only few on damages caused by the unlawful release of hazardous substances into the environment. In 2023, UNDP will work with judicial training institutions as well as environmental inspectorates, ministries and police to strengthen their capacity and develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to enhance collaboration in dealing with criminal prosecution of environmental pollution cases. The project is expected to strengthen institutional capacities to tackle environmental crime in BiH.

Gender equality

Through the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, UNDP, in partnership with the BiH state Agency for Gender Equality, supported the internal transformation of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), an autonomous judicial regulator mandated to ensure an independent, impartial and professional judiciary in the country. The support includes incentivizing and supporting the HJPC to empower women at work by adhering to the international and national labour norms and by improving institutional policies and practices. As a result, the HJPC will be able to mainstream a gender equality perspective and create fair and gender-sensitive workplaces. UNDP will also advocate for harmonizing the national legislation on gender equality with international standards.

As part of the institutional arrangement, the Gender Equality Seal (GES) committee was established with UNDP assistance to provide advisory and technical support to the HJPC. Eleven members of the GES Committee (eight women and two men) and two representatives of the Agency for Gender Equality (one woman and one man) improved their capacity and knowledge of the GES methodology to transform public institutions. The process will continue throughout 2023 to include at least one more public institution from the security sector in BiH.

To promote and explain the GES, UNDP published a brochure outlining the objectives of the initiative and the certification process in public institutions.

Leave No One Behind

In October 2022, UNDP, together with UN Women and BiH Agency for Gender Equality, launched the Feminist Action for Climate Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina with an essential goal to empower women to become leaders in climate change mitigation.

Through an intersectoral working group, UNDP facilitated the preparation of a gap analysis report which considered gender and environment data statistics as well as gender mainstreaming in environmental laws and strategies. The information received will be further used in policy making. The report will be published in 2023.

Human Rights and SDG integration

With the support of the UNSDG Human Rights Mainstreaming Fund, UNDP and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) continued to assist national partners in BiH to improve reporting on the 2030 Agenda and human rights and to better link human rights obligations with SDGs implementation. Following the completion of a gap analysis of human rights and sustainable development data collection and reporting in 2021, integrated capacity building workshops on human rights and SDG data collection and reporting were organized in December 2021 and January 2022, bringing together 16 representatives of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, the SDG Council, the national human rights institution and CSOs as well as UN partners.

Partnerships

As a result of this support, national partners have achieved a common and clear understanding of the country’s human rights and sustainable development commitments, including through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Voluntary National Review (VNR) reporting processes. In addition, an important partnership has been initiated between the SDG Council, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, the national human rights institution and CSOs on exchange and refinement of SDG indicators of progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Key
results
  • Environmental Rule of Law project was launched as a novel area of intervention to strengthen institutional capacities to tackle environmental crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • UNDP facilitated the establishment of Gender Equality Seal for the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council to identify areas for improvement vis-à-vis gender mainstreaming in this institution. BiH Feminist Coalition on Climate Justice was launched to support improved monitoring and reporting of gender and environment indicators and their use in policy setting.
  • The SDG Council, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, the national human rights institution and civil society have formed a partnership to improve reporting on the 2030 Agenda and human rights.