Canada Joins UN Efforts to Promote Rule of Law in Darfur

The Canadian Government has recently contributed a total of USD 952,200 to the United Nations to build capacity in justice institutions in Darfur through the Joint Programme for Rule of Law (JPROL). 

For years, the protracted conflict in Darfur has severely weakened rule of law institutions in the region. To make the much-needed transition to stability, it will be critical to address the prevailing insecurity in Darfur.  Following wide consultations with the Government of Sudan (GoS), civil society organizations, donors and UN agencies at all levels, the JPROL was launched in November 2016 to restore stability in Darfur. 

The programme coordinates UN efforts to enhance the rule of law under one framework, pooling resources and formulating shared priorities to establish effective justice institutions in Darfur.

Representing a key pillar of social stability in the Darfur, the JPROL aims to strengthen rule of law institutions, improve people’s access to justice and enhance mechanisms to address land issues in Darfur.

Development interventions include the revision of selected laws and procedures; re-establishment of the criminal justice chain in pilot areas to which Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are likely to return; and building the capacity of and oversight over justice and security institutions.  The JPROL will also provide robust support to improve access to justice through the legal empowerment of vulnerable populations in Darfur, especially women, children and IDPs.

The Canadian contribution will be used for some key initial interventions:  USD 589,000 allocated to UNDP to strengthen community policing, whilst USD  261,000 will be dedicated to working with law enforcement institutions on the GoS Action Plan to end recruitment of child soldiers and violations against children carried out by UNICEF,  in addition to  USD 105,000  assigned to UNAMID to work with the corrections (prison police) area in Darfur.

This unprecedented joint programme in Sudan builds a solid foundation for sustainable peace reflecting national ownership and a strong sense of partnership and coordination between the UN and the Government as well as amongst UN agencies and other stakeholders. The programme further addresses the root causes of the conflict in Darfur, by supporting rights-based resolution of land issues.

In an event held today to celebrate Canada’s valuable contribution to the programme and celebrate valuable support for implementing the programme, as well as partnerships among the Government, UN and the donor community, the Canadian Ambassador Salah Bendaoud stated “Canada remains committed to supporting Government of Sudan and the international community initiatives to strengthen supremacy of law and human rights, and to achieve a lasting peace for the benefit of the people of Sudan.‎"

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ms. Marta Ruedas commended Canada’s valuable support for JPROL by affirming “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Canada for its generous contribution to the programme. Working together with the Government, communities and NGOs, Canada’s support will give a positive momentum to further enhance the rule of law and human rights in Sudan. The United Nations has been working together, in consultation with our government counterparts, to implement activities to promote human rights and rule of law at institutional and community level. We developed the “Joint Rule of Law and Human Rights programme” with the spirit of One UN -- “together, we can do more” with the following three main objectives.

First, justice institutions, including specialized child justice system, are supported to provide equitable, effective and accountable justice services. These institutions include police, prosecution, judiciary, and corrections and native administration.

Second, access to justice is enhanced through more outreach and provision of legal aid services, including para-legal support, community-based centers where people get services such as the Justice and Confidence Centers in IDP camps and host communities.

Third, capacity of the justice system and local conflict resolution mechanisms are enhanced, to address various conflicts including competition over land resources which has been central to the conflict in Darfur.

For his part , H.E. Mr. Idris Suleiman Yousef , Minister of International Cooperation commended  the current cooperation with the international community in advancing human development in Sudan by saying “ As Sudan opens up to the world, we welcome all the international development partners in the country with an effective partnership and coordinated coordination for sustainable development that will relief the people of Sudan from the hardship reflected in their difficult living conditions caused by the two decades of economic sanctions. I further call on other international donors to further continue their support to Sudan.” 

This distinctive programme has been initiated in implementation of Security Council Resolution Security Council Resolutions 2228 (2015) and 2296. Resolution 2228 concluded that certain UNAMID mandated tasks relating to the promotion of the rule of law in Darfur, as well as capacity-building of police and other local institutions which can combat impunity, will be transferred to entities with the necessary comparative advantage, meaning the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Sudan. In line with the recommendations of the High-Level Independent Panel on UN Peace Operations, JPROL will enable a seamless transfer of rule of law tasks through a well-coordinated handover to the UNCT, sharing of resources between UNAMID and the UNCT, and rapid build-up of UNCT capabilities under an organized funding plan.