Human Rights

Human rights and the rule of law are not synonymous, but they do overlap and function symbiotically. In the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, they "represent universally applicable standards adopted under the auspices of the United Nations and must therefore serve as the normative basis for all United Nations activities in support of justice and the rule of law."
To summarize, the stronger human rights, the stronger the rule of law. Together, they form a framework for decision- and policy-making that is anchored by legality, accountability and participation. In this, they create a fertile ground for development and social transformation.
Europe: Refugee System is Broken
The refugee crisis has clearly shown that the European refugee system is broken and must be fixed urgently

Brazil: Bread and Justice
Special Feature: Mongolia - Rule of Law's Frontier Country
Mongolia has formally joined IDLO, the latest stage in an expanding partnership for the advancement the rule of law. The first communist-ruled nation outside the Soviet Union, Mongolia has over the last two decades built a democracy that is untypical of its region. But for all the efforts of its political class and civil society, it has some way to go to improve governance, enhance access to justice, and reduce inequality.
Indonesian-Dutch Comparative Justice Policy Workshop
A Comparative Justice workshop held at IDLO's Branch Office in The Hague in December 2015 offered a chance to debate recent developments in legal aid services and access to justice in the host country, the Netherlands, in Indonesia and elsewhere.
Human Rights: Climate's Good CoP
On Saturday 12th December in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris, a momentous shift was made in the world’s commitment to tackling climate change. Just a month on from the devastating terrorist attacks, amidst security tensions, celebrated news came out of the French capital with the announcement of the Paris Ag

National forum on Rule of Law in Tanzania
Tanzania's first national Rule of Law Stakeholders' Forum, organized by IDLO, is taking place in Dar es Salaam on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December.

Reducing Homicide - Reducir los homicidios
With a view to replacing a culture of violence in Honduras with one of legality, IDLO has outlined a program to reduce violent acts and homicides through better access to justice. Work, carried out in partnership with national institutions and civil society organizations, will focus specifically on vulnerable groups, including women, children, youth and people in detention. The program is financed by the US Department of State.
Harare HIV Consultation
People living with HIV and HIV legal experts from around the world are to convene in Harare, Zimbabwe, later this month for the 3rd Inter-regional Consultation on HIV-related legal services and rights, organised by IDLO.

Seeking Shelter: Violence Against Women
Languages: English, Español

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Key Initiatives
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As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluati
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Lack of access to a fair and equitable justice system is one of the most pressing problems confronting modern Somalia on its path towards stability and reconstruction. Informal justice systems, offering alternative dispute resolution are often much better placed to respond to the immediate justice needs of many Somalis seeking justice, as they have more legitimacy and are more easily accessible. To enhance access to justice in Somalia, it is therefore essential to engage with the alternative dispute resolution systems.
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In Somalia, alternative justice mechanisms remain the main providers of justice services for lack of formal justice institutions. However, these justice mechanisms can be discriminatory particularly against women, youth and minority clans.
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Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, has been devastated by armed conflict since September 2014. The conflict has received limited international coverage and human rights violations and violations under international humanitarian law suffered by the civilian population have been grossly underreported. All parties to the conflict have been linked to serious violations of international law, with inadequate accountability mechanisms in place to ensure justice for victims.
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Strengthening prevention and accountability for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) through the rule of law and access to justice has been a priority for the Government of Myanmar since 2011, when it embarked on an unprecedented transition towards democracy. SGBV cases are rarely reported and, when they are, the justice sector fails to provide adequate remedies. Therefore, there is a widely recognized need to increase prevention of and accountability for SGBV.
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