UNDP contributed to improving access to justice for more than 30,000 people (including 9,000 women) and increased the level of trust between communities and authorities. Support was provided to eight civil and penal mobile courts in Batié, Sindou, Houndé, Bobo Dioulasso, Boromo, Diébougou and Korsimoro. During the civil hearings, 98 nationality certificates and 33 criminal records were issued. In addition, 135 civil status documents were rectified allowing beneficiaries to access proper identification certificates. Over 110 cases involving 232 defendants were adjudicated by the penal mobile courts.
UNDP improved access to justice for vulnerable people in six regions by supporting the establishment of eight legal clinics in targeted areas. More than 15,000 individuals from these regions, including 5,770 women and almost 4,000 young people, benefited from awareness sessions on human rights violations, reparation services for victims and other issues.
UNDP supported digitalization in tribunals and courts in Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Tenkodogo by launching electronic criminal records system that allowed 20,000 citizens to receive electronic criminal records between October 2023 to March 2024. The system also reduced the time and costs associated with requesting a criminal record.
UNDP promoted community security and built trust in the law enforcement services through training of 530 members of Local Community Security Structures (SCLS), including 21 women and 60 community policing focal points from four regions (Nord, Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre Ouest and Plateau-Central).
In Burkina Faso, UNDP provides support in the areas of justice, human rights, security, social cohesion, and reconciliation via its CoSED programme (Cohésion Sociale, Sécurité, Etat de Droit). In 2023, the programme implementation was affected by major changes that resulted from political turbulence, reorganization of the institutions, refined national priorities and the development of the national Action Plan for Stabilization and Development for 2023-2025. Despite the challenging environment, UNDP contributed to strengthening the capacities of justice and security systems, improving access to justice for vulnerable groups, reducing the backlog of judicial cases and raising awareness on human rights and how to assert them.
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
In 2023, CoSED programme contributed to improving access to justice for more than 30,000 people (including 9,000 women) and increased the level of trust between communities and authorities. Support was provided to eight civil and penal mobile courts in Batié, Sindou, Houndé, Bobo Dioulasso, Boromo, Diébougou and Korsimoro. During the civil hearings, 98 nationality certificates and 33 criminal records were issued. In addition, 135 civil status documents were rectified allowing beneficiaries to access proper identification certificates. Over 110 cases involving 232 defendants were adjudicated by the penal mobile courts.
Awareness-raising activities organized during the mobile court hearings mobilized around 4,000 people from local communities who were sensitized on the operation of the courts and capacitated to exercise their rights and access judicial services.
Through CoSED programme, UNDP supported the establishment of eight legal clinics that provided access to justice for vulnerable people in targeted areas in six regions (Hauts-Bassins, South-West, East, Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre Nord and the Cascades). More than 15,000 individuals from these regions, including 5,770 women and almost 4,000 young people, benefited from awareness-raising sessions on human rights violations, reparation services for victims and other issues. In addition, 570 people including 130 women received legal assistance in cases related to arbitrary arrest, summary and extrajudicial execution, labor law, family law, land rights, search for paternity, child custody, civil status documents. One hundred and twenty people benefited from legal representation in courts, including 11 women victims of gender-based violence.
UNDP also supported digitalization in tribunals and courts in Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Tenkodogo by launching electronic criminal records system that allowed 20,000 citizens to receive electronic criminal records between October 2023 to March 2024. The system also reduced the time and costs associated with requesting a criminal record. In Burkina Faso, criminal records are necessary to obtain identification documents, access basic services or to apply for a job.
To promote social cohesion, UNDP strengthened the capacities of 50 local civil society organizations (CSOs) in citizen control of mining activities and promoting religious tolerance.
COMMUNITY SECURITY
The delivery of security services was extended through the construction of 25 security facilities, including the Regional Directorate of the National Police, the Territorial Brigade of the Gendarmerie, housing for the gendarmerie squadron. As of the end of 2023, ten infrastructures were completed and the other 15 were under construction. These facilities improved the operational capacities of internal security forces enabling them to better respond to the increasing security threats in Burkina Faso.
To promote community security and build trust in the law enforcement services, UNDP facilitated the training for 530 members of Local Community Security Structures (SCLS), including 21 women and 60 community policing focal points from four regions (North, Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre Ouest, Plateau-Central). In addition, four sessions on addressing gender-based violence were conducted for 266 police and gendarmerie officers, including 72 women. Additional 338 people, including 28 women, from the police, gendarmerie and control structures of the security services had their capacities strengthened on specific human rights themes.
Lessons learned and good practices
In consultation with partners, UNDP prioritized community-based activities in line with the overall strategy of the UN Country Team (UNCT). Undertaking a people-centred approach to justice and security, UNDP combined the top-down institutional support with the grassroot level support.
To improve collaboration and information sharing on challenges connected to accessing to justice and human rights protection, two consultation frameworks were organized in Bobo and Kaya, bringing together the facilitators of legal clinics and stakeholders of the penal chain. Also, several training activities were organized for the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security enabling them to follow UNDP procedures. As a result, the financial delivery of the CoSED programme increased in 2023.
As part of south-south cooperation, UNDP supported the Government in carrying out an experience sharing and study trip to Rwanda on matters related to public security. This exchange informed the ongoing national reflection on improving coordination between security institutions.
Looking forward
UNDP will focus on the digitalization of judicial services with human rights considerations, further develop the network of mobile courts and support access to justice for internally displaced persons, promoting the humanitarian, development and peace nexus. It will also improve institutional capacity of the National Human Rights Commission and support the government in fulfilling its international human rights obligations.