Organisation Internationale de Droit du Développement

IDLO 'Implementer Dialogues' in The Hague

The nature of rule of law programming is changing in response to a series of external and internal drivers. Today, concerted efforts to strengthen the rule of law are more necessary than ever in a rapidly changing world characterized by growing insecurity and instability, recurring and protracted conflict and violence, increasing inequality, exclusion and discrimination, where international human rights and humanitarian norms have come under attack.

In order to develop high-impact and high-quality programming, IDLO engages with multiple implementing partners working to improve access to justice and enhance performance of justice sector institutions in its geographic areas of focus. This engagement at different levels has proven to foster positive exchanges on lessons generated from programs and has created opportunities for joint initiatives and partnerships.

Since 2014, IDLO has collaborated with the rule of law community in The Hague to convene implementing organizations, research institutes and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for exchanges in a flexible and informal format.

These ‘Implementer Dialogues’ bring together practitioners and policymakers to share and discuss good practices in specific geographic areas or themes of relevance to the rule of law, with a focus on problem-driven iterative adaptation-based approaches to programming. This dialogue series seeks to align with other international initiatives, events and debates in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda.

 

Activities

Webinar - The Impact of Remote Proceedings on Access to Justice

July 1st, 2021. 2pm - 4pm CEST. Virtually accessible

The increasing digitalization of courts is a fundamental part of reform efforts aimed at providing more efficient, transparent and equitable user-friendly justice. The COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for a series of unprecedented changes to the way our court systems operated: with social distancing measures in place and workers from across society making the shift to remote working overnight, many judicial systems also moved their proceedings from an in-person to a virtual setting in order to remain operational.

In some instances, this has produced positive outcomes – including increased judicial efficiency, a reduction in waiting times and case back-logs, and the timely proceeding of pre-trial detainees. International criminal courts and tribunals are also increasingly making use of allowing witnesses to testify over video-link, as giving evidence from a location closer to home might expose them to less risk than travelling thousands of kilometers to international cities of justice like The Hague and Arusha. For victims of harrowing crimes like GBV and torture, testifying remotely – sometimes from a different room in the same courthouse – might enable them to give evidence while avoiding the trauma of testifying with the accused in the same room.

However, remote proceedings also hold serious implications for the protection of the procedural and substantive rights and safeguards for criminal defendants to guarantee a fair trial. Many defendants may not have access to the technology or the technical support needed to fully participate in the trial, and may be hindered from communicating effectively and confidentially with their lawyers. Their ability to cross-examine witnesses may also be undermined if conducted remotely, and the probative value of evidence may be reduced if the judges are unable to assess the witness’s demeanor and body language on-screen. Holding criminal trials remotely also poses obstacles for trial monitoring and observation.

All indications are that at least some of these temporary remote measures will become permanent once pandemic restrictions are eased. As countries begin to open up again, the timing is right to explore the impact of remote proceedings on access to justice.

The implementer dialogue is aligned with Strategic Objective 2 of IDLO’s Strategic Plan 2021-2024 on making laws and institutions work for people, which seeks to promote equitable digital innovation in justice environments. The webinar aims to achieve the following:

  • Identify ongoing and potential entry-points for e-justice interventions pertaining to remote criminal justice proceedings, and assess their impact on access to justice – particularly for defendants;
  • Identify key challenges, good practices and lessons learned in safeguarding access to justice in the context of remote criminal justice proceedings;
  • Boost synergies, coordination and knowledge-exchange between ongoing initiatives and relevant practitioners.

Kindly confirm your interest to participate by e-mailing deggleston@idlo.int, or registering at the link provided below. More details about accessing the webinar will be shared prior to the event. 

Please click here to register for the event.

 

Webinar - Exploring Sustainable Solutions for Anti-corruption Initiatives

May 11th, 2021. 2pm - 4pm CEST. Virtually accessible

Poor governance and corruption remain major challenges to sustainable development and rule of law by fuelling inequalities and undermining access to public services. In contexts of fragility and violence, corruption fuels and perpetuates the inequalities and discontent that lead to fragility, violent extremism, and conflict. As a result, effective anti-corruption efforts are key enablers for the realization of the entire 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Its importance is explicitly highlighted under Goal 16 whose targets include reduction of illicit financial flows, strengthening the recovery and return of stolen assets, substantially reducing bribery and corruption, and developing effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.

Current evidence, however, shows that most anti-corruption initiatives are associated with “some kind of failure”.  Globally, anti-corruption efforts regularly fall short of resulting in sustainable reforms. It has been observed that lifecycles of national anti-corruption initiatives are often tied to political changes. Periods of transition – such as changes in government – represent windows of opportunity to institute anti-corruption initiatives due to high political will among relevant stakeholders. However, whilst these transitions may represent powerful platforms of change, they are often susceptible to political capture and/or sudden shifts in political leadership and/or policies that delay, retard, or even reverse ongoing initiatives.

Furthermore, a review of anti-corruption efforts shows that gaps between the design expectations and the realities of the deployment context accounts for the for the failure of a significant sample of anti-corruption initiatives to deliver sustainable impact.  Evidence also links the lack of attention given to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in anti-corruption initiatives to their unsustainability . Monitoring and evaluation processes are accorded low priority due to a myriad of reasons including avoiding accountability, lack of capacity, and non-availability of monitoring tools and data gathered on the corruption situation in the country.

It is against this backdrop that the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) is organizing an Implementer Dialogue on Exploring Sustainable Solutions for Anti-Corruption Initiatives. The event will provide a platform for sharing of experiences in designing and implementing sustainable anti-corruption initiatives. Through a convening of practitioners in an interactive format, the event will highlight what has worked and (even more importantly) what has not in the fight against corruption in diverse geographical and political contexts. Solutions to increase impact and enhance sustainability will also be outlined as an outcome of the discussion.

The implementer dialogue will aim to achieve the following:

  • Share experiences in designing and implementing an anti-corruption initiative or a range of anti-corruption initiatives within a particular context
  • Highlight what worked and what failed, with a focus on sustainability
  • Highlight good practices and any lessons learned that can be applied to future anti-corruption initiatives to increase impact and enhance sustainability

Kindly confirm your interest to participate by e-mailing zmalik@idlo.int. Concept note available for download below and more details about accessing the webinar will be shared prior to the event. 

Please click here to register for the event.

 

Webinar - Accessing Justice: Alternative Dispute Resolution in Somalia

February 23rd, 2021. 2:00pm - 4:00pm CET. Virtually accessible

To ensure access to justice for all and support the development of peaceful and inclusive societies and effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, justice systems must innovate and meet people’s everyday justice needs.  In Somalia, the Ministry of Justice has established ADR Centers as a unique model of justice delivery, facilitating settlement of disputes using informal dispute resolution, and complementing concurrent strengthening of the formal judicial system. During 2019-2020, IDLO supported the establishment of six ADR Centers in Somalia to enhance access to justice. The centers apply elements of arbitration, mediation, and other conventional ADR methods while preserving alignment with Xeer customary norms and emphasizing consensus-building and voluntary agreement by the parties. Sharia laws and principles, as well as Xeer practices, may be applied, provided there is no conflict with relevant human rights provisions.

IDLO analyzed the operation and effectiveness of the ADR Centers in terms of their contribution to improving access to justice. Research findings are featured in the newly-released IDLO report titled: Accessing Justice: Somalia’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers.

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Cordaid and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) are organizing an Implementer Dialogue on “Accessing Justice: Alternative Dispute Resolution in Somalia.” The Dialogue will convene practitioners in the fields of rule of law and access to justice to discuss findings from IDLO’s latest research on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centers in Somalia, while also providing an opportunity for exchange of lessons learned and good practices on strengthening linkages between formal and customary and informal (CIJ) justice mechanisms in diverse contexts.

The Implementer Dialogue will aim to achieve the following:

  • Share evidence-based learnings regarding the progress, quality and responsiveness of ADR centers as a justice mechanism in Somalia, particularly with respect to access to justice for marginalized populations, with consideration of available resources and the existing political, socio-economic and service environment.
  • Drawing on the detailed case study in Somalia and comparative cases, identify and evaluate pathways for strengthening and coordinating linkages between the formal justice system and CIJ systems, to improve access to justice in diverse contexts.
  • Convene relevant practitioners, policymakers and researchers to enhance coordination and foster collaboration on programming and policy to improve access to justice through CIJ systems

Kindly confirm your interest to participate by e-mailing zmalik@idlo.int. Concept note available for download below and more details about accessing the webinar will be shared prior to the event. 

Please click here to register for the event.

 

Webinar - Political Economy Analysis (PEA): A meaningful tool for program design and implementation

June 19th, 2020. 2:00pm - 4:00pm CET. Virtually accessible.

"Too often, government leaders fail to adopt and implement policies that they know are necessary for sustained economic development. They are encumbered by adverse political incentives, which prevent them from selecting good policies, and they run the risk of losing office should they try to do the right thing" (World Bank: Making Politics work for Development). 

Conducting a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) is one tool that can be utilized to understand and support the design and implementation of politically feasible programs, by setting informed objectives of what can be achieved, over what timescale and the risks involved.

IDLO and the Knowledge Platform for Security and Rule of Law (KPSRL) are organizing an Implementer Dialogue to learn from experts and organizational pilot initiatives about the relevance and importance of engaging with the PEA for security and rule of law strategies and programs, and as a continual and iterative process. The Implementer Dialogue will deconstruct how, when, why and with what purpose the PEA can be used as an analytical tool and framework for program design and implementation, identifying key challenges, opportunities, experiences and risks. The current global COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for such a tool even more relevant. The dialogue will provide an opportunity to share IDLO’s experience of engaging with its own institutional guidelines on PEA, which were recently piloted and applied in Morocco, Somalia and the Sahel region.                                                                                          

This dialogue aims to convene development practitioners, implementers and policy makers in order to disseminate expert knowledge and practical experience on adaptive programming, with a specific focus on engaging with the PEA as an analytical tool to formulate high-impact and high-quality security and rule of law programming. 

The following questions will be addressed:

  • PEAs as an iterative process: How to determine the right timing and the right strategy to feed into program design, planning, reviews or other decisions?
  • How to make sure that PEA is a living and breathing process woven into everyday practice? 
  • How do we ensure that the PEA remains relevant in the environment of constant societal and political change - and therefore also how do we ensure that programs remain relevant?

Kindly confirm your interest to participate by e-mailing vwitula@idlo.int. Concept note available for download below and more details about accessing the webinar will be shared prior to the event. 

 

Workshop - Learning at the portfolio level: Collaborative learning and program adaptation in fragile contexts

December 18, 2019 – IDLO Conference Room, The Hague

Drawing on research insights from the Overseas Development Institute into portfolio learning and adaptation, as well as on practical insights from collaborative learning initiatives, this workshop will focus on good practices of collaborative learning and entry points for results to effectively inform program adaptation and portfolio decision-making.

Confirm your participation by sending an e-mail to K.Eickhoff@kpsrl.org. Further details on the workshop program will be shared prior to the event.

 

Workshop - Applying tools for adaptive programming and development effectiveness

October 8, 2019 – IDLO Conference Room, The Hague

The nature of security and rule of law programming in fragile settings is changing in response to a variety of external and internal drivers, going beyond institutional capacity development to consider empowerment and ways to foster accountability and influence policies through engagement with new sets of actors. To bring about the desired changes, we need to better understand the problems at stake, the environments interventions are embedded in and the assumptions that underpin implementers’ decisions. This is where analytical tools for adaptive programming come into play. This workshop brings together practitioners and policymakers who will share and discuss good practices of using analytical tools for program adaptation.

The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy and CARE Netherlands are co-leads and key contributors to this workshop.

Please click here for the full program and to register for the event.