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

Kosovo*

Impact by Regions,
Countries & Territories
Europe and Central Asia

In Kosovo*, UNDP continued the implementation of the Kosovo Safety and Security Programme (KSSP) and the project designed to support the functioning of the rule of law institutions and improve access to justice.

Through the KSSP, UNDP facilitated trainings for the law enforcement officers in the police service of Kosovo and North Macedonia in line with community policing standards: 340 officers (including 32 women) improved their knowledge on types of weapons and explosives, as well as on legal instruments for the control of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and intelligence-led policing. In addition, 90 law enforcement officers (including 19 women) advanced their knowledge on effective ballistic investigations and the importance of information exchange to address illicit arms trafficking.

To enhance the technological capacities of the Kosovo border police in combatting the trafficking of weapons, UNDP provided advanced equipment that allowed the detection of illegal ammunition and improved SALW control. According to the Kosovo Police official statistics, in 2022 the number of detected and confiscated firearms increased by 13 percent.

farmland

Photo taken by the Kosovo Police from the police operations in confiscating firearms

Photo: Kosovo Police

To raise awareness on the consequences of unauthorized use of SALW and to decrease the number of firearms incidents, especially during celebrations, UNDP supported the Ministries of Internal Affairs in Kosovo and North Macedonia in holding a social media campaign “Every bullet has a target! Celebrate with your heart, not your gun.” The campaign reached over one million people with a key message that even a stray bullet ends up somewhere endangering someone’s life.

Through its rule of law and justice project, UNDP continued supporting the modernization of the archiving system in courts. In coordination with the Kosovo Judicial Council, UNDP worked on the digitization of nearly 300,000 archived minor offence case files in all seven first instance courts.

To facilitate access to justice, UNDP supported the establishment of a translation office that provided Albanian-Serbian and Serbian-Albanian interpretation during over 280 court hearings and translation services for over 550 court cases. This initiative contributed to the reduction of the backlog of cases accumulated due to the lack of professional translation services.

In coordination with the Kosovo Academy of Justice, the main public judicial training institute, UNDP implemented a five-week basic training programme for professional legal associates from all Kosovo courts. One hundred and sixty professional legal associates (50 percent women) from both K-Albanian and K-Serbian communities increased their knowledge and skills in the area of criminal justice.

To facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in adjudication of domestic violence crimes, UNDP organized a regional two-day South-South cooperation event for over 40 women judges and prosecutors from Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia. The event also served as a platform to discuss avenues for the increased representation of women in the judiciary.

Key
results
  • UNDP contributed to the realization of community policing standards in the police services of Kosovo and North Macedonia. Over 400 law enforcement officers improved their knowledge in intelligence-driven investigations and SALW prevention.
  • UNDP’s support to the border police contributed to the 13 percent increase in the number of detected and confiscated firearms.
  • A South-South cooperation event gathered over 40 women judges and prosecutors from Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia who discussed ways to better adjudicate domestic violence cases and increase women’s meaningful representation in the judiciary.

*All references to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).