Bringing Justice to the People

Most Americans have a basic understanding of how the justice system works here. We know about the right to a fair trial, innocence until proven guilty, judgment by a jury of our peers, and other basic concepts of the American legal system. Many of us know some things so well its as though we were born with them, like the beginning of the Miranda warning: "you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law". Even if we learned it from watching too many episodes of Cops rather than actually studying the law, it still demonstrates the widespread public awareness that we sometimes take for granted.

Unfortunately not everywhere is lucky enough to be able to take this for granted. One such place is troubled Timor-Leste. Although the violence that followed its declaration of independence in 1975 was mostly brought to an end by 2002 when it finally achieved international recognition, its fledgling government still faces many challenges. Today the UN is working to rebuild the civil institutions, like the justice system, of this fragile nation. On April 6th the UNDP Justice System Program undertook its first outreach campaign in the city of Pante Makassar. Government officials, judges, lawyers and members of the public were brought together in a forum for open discussion. Participants were provided with informational materials, and were able to ask questions about the issues that affect their lives everyday.

The UNDP Justice System Program will be continuing its campaign, helping build the capacity of the courts and ministry of justice, and bringing its open forums to districts around the country.

Find out more about UNDP's work in Timor-Leste by clicking here.

The World Celebrates the 60 Year Anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration

“All human beings are born free and equal in rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

These words, ratified 60 years ago today, open the Declaration of Human Rights. A world divided by war and ideology, but united in hope, gathered to inscribe these words in history. On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly gathered and ratified what would become the most universally translated document of all time.

Unfortunately, we still witness daily violations of these human rights in countries ranging from Mynamar to even the United States. However, as we are driven further apart by our ideological differences and economic competition, we must remember that we are united as a global community. Empowerment of all people, respect for every human life regardless of ethnicity, nationality, race or sexuality is something we declared our alliance to 60 years ago and needs to remain at the forefront of our global consciousness.

The legacy of the Declaration has at times been overshadowed in this era of globalization; yet the United Nations has continued working hard to promote human rights globally. We must recognize the strides we have taken, please visit the web sites of those working to protect human rights: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNHCR.

Liberia needs police, women step up to the plate (with the UN's help)

This week over 100 Liberian women completed basic training for the Liberian National Police (LNP). The women participated in a program sponsored by the UN, the Liberian Government, and the LNP. The program was designed to help Liberian women conquer some of the challenges they face. The goals of the program are to increase the number of women on the police force to 20% of the total force, as well as help raise women's educational level to high school graduate, which is needed to qualify for the force. Today about 10% of LNP officers are women.

The UN and the Liberian government hope that more women in the police force will be allow the LNP to be more effective in handling sexual and gender violence against women and children. The President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, commended the women for their role in nation building and along with the UN sees women's empowerment as an important step towards good governance.

For more information about this program and others: click here

Put your skills to better use

UNDP in South Sudan gets it right again. The brand new Lologo Regional Prison Training Center was inaugurated this past week in an effort to reform the corrective system and ensure that peace and stability in the region continues to hold.

UNDP is essentially hitting two birds with one stone with this new initiative by creating a new Prison Service training program that simultaneously rehabilitates former Sudanese soldiers. The center, constructed under UNDP's Foundational Support to the Prison Services of Southern Sudan, will provide a 3-month orientation session in order to train former soldiers of the SPLA (Sudanese People's Liberation Army) and aid their reintegration into society.

UNDP's logic is the more soldiers take care of prisoners, the less opportunity they will have to join rebel groups and resume fighting. And the best part is, their new job builds upon the skills they developed during their last.

Check out the UN in Sudan for general news and humanitarian updates.