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

Regional overview

Impact by Regions,
Countries & Territories
Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is navigating the challenges of recovery from multiple crises, including the effects of the war in Ukraine, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, the migration crisis and broken social contracts. The region was already struggling to cope with structural inequality, poverty, violence and the recovery of the pace of justice service delivery, and increased demand for justice services.

In 2022, while the region saw a decline in homicide rates, insecurity has been on the rise in many countries where chronic violence remained prevalent with increased levels of organized crime. According to the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, the rule of law situation improved in nine countries in the region in 2022, but declined in 21 of the 32 countries, and the overall rule of law climate deteriorated, as did tolerance and respect for human rights.

Against this backdrop, UNDP LAC focused on the provision of tailored support to an increasing number of requests from UNDP Country Offices and the regional programme, while also continuing to increase the number of countries in the region reached by UNDP’s Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development. UNDP LAC, with its network of regional projects SIGOB, CARISECURE and INFOSEGURA, supported more than 25 Country Offices in the region through integrated initiatives. Ongoing initiatives were presented at the regional Community of Practice in October 2022.

UNDP Honduras launched the Human Development Report on Rule of Law including 50 public policy proposals delivered to the Presidency of the Republic, and the Human Development Atlas which contains sub-national level gender sensitive data which is useful for prioritization and focusing public policies and public services. Evidence for action is a central need for public policies as UNDP stressed in the No. 11 Policy Note: Data Revolution on Citizen Security.

UNDP supported citizen security and violence reduction efforts through the SALIENT project in Jamaica and Honduras, through the INFOSEGURA project implemented in Central America and Dominican Republic and through the CariSECURE project implemented in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.

In 2022, UNDP continued supporting 24 Country Offices in their efforts to ensure access to justice for all, in the framework of the strategic partnership with COMJIB (Conferencia de Ministros de Justicia de los Países Iberoamericanos) and PATHFINDERS for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

UNDP contributed to the development and implementation of national strategies on access to justice in six countries and supported more than ten e-justice initiatives, including in Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama. In the Caribbean, UNDP partnered with the European Union to design a regional project to address backlogs and bottlenecks in the criminal justice systems of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

In Cuba, Dominican Republic and Mexico, UNDP helped implement strategies to enhance access to justice for women and transform social and cultural norms through positive masculinities. Dominican Republic and Paraguay implemented the Gender Equality Seal for the judiciary. In addition, UNDP co-led transitional justice processes in Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico through an inclusion and sustainable development lens.

To address the climate emergency and mitigate the impact of natural disasters in the region, UNDP supported environmental justice and climate security initiatives in Argentina, Bolivia and Honduras, as well as contributing to the implementation of the Escazu Agreement, the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Other emblematic initiatives include support to the constitutional reform process in Belize based on the Chilean experience, and the development of innovative partnerships on accountability.

In 2022, UNDP LAC expanded its Business and Human Rights (B+HR) agenda. Through the promotion and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), UNDP and the Government of Japan supported initiatives in Mexico and Peru. The Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation (AACID) and UNDP have joined forces to support the strategic partnerships of the private sector in the promotion and protection of human rights and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. State capacity to promote inclusion was enhanced through business and human rights projects in 14 countries and human mobility initiatives in nine countries. In five countries, public and private institutions received support in conflict management.

In line with the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP scaled up its partnerships with the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP). With these partners, UNDP supported national human rights institutions in Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Peru and Uruguay.

These solutions have been achieved in a context defined by development challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty about climate change, increased political polarization, conflict and violence, and growing erosion of respect for the rule of law and the protection of human rights. According to the survey “Citizens' views on the responses to COVID-19 and the future of governance”, conducted by the UNDP Regional Hub in Latin America, satisfaction with the functioning of democracy and support for democracy as a form of government in the region continues to deteriorate.

Going forward, UNDP will continue to invest efforts in strengthening the rule of law and promoting peaceful and inclusive dialogue to place human rights, people-centred justice, and security at the centre of its programmatic and policy support to accelerate the implementation of SDG16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.