CPR and Democratic Governance in Europe & CIS

CPR and Democratic Governance

CPR and Governance

In post-conflict and transforming societies, governance processes and institutions are often weak and lack capacity to manage or resolve conflicts and injustice in non-violent ways, or to address crises that affect socio-economic and political stability. Legitimate and democratic state institutions are key conditions favorable to approaching crisis situations.  UNDP’s Strategic Plan for 2008-2011 identifies the links between crisis prevention and recovery and governance. In the area of prevention UNDP commits to support conflict prevention and disaster risk management efforts of the national governmental partners and enhance their capacity towards this goal.

Read more on examples of UNDP response:

• Rule of Law and Access to Justice
  

  Breakdown or absence of rule of law signals about escalating conflict. While the rule of law is important in conflict prevention, it is also crucial in creating safer communities and secure environment in the aftermath of a conflict. The rule of law is based on justice, hence access to justice is vital in strengthening democratic governance. The countries of the region affected by armed and violent conflict present a complex set of problems. In the Western Balkans, erosion of public institutions caused by the years of war have opened the way for crime and corruption, where organized crime networks are well established and highly violent. Such transboundary issues as drug and human trafficking, money laundering and smuggling is common to the countries of the Western Balkans. Corruption in the region is also widespread. Conflict in the Caucasus resulted in endemic corruption, high levels of organized crime and insecurity, non-functioning state institutions, and lack of public trust in state security and rule of law institutions including justice ministries, judiciaries, national security services and the police.

  UNDP addresses the issues of rule of law, access to justice and security through its Global Project on Rule of Law/JSSR (Justice and Security Sector Reform) in Crisis and Post-Crisis 2008-2011 (LINK to THE PRODOC). The global project focuses on strengthening the rule of law through empowering national governments and civil society in their response to insecurity and injustice, providing direct activities to develop the capacitites of national rule of law institutions (such as ministries of justice, prosecutors' offices and law enforcement agencies) and activities aimed at transitional justice, where support is provided to national actors in addressing the legacies of human rights and humanitarian law violations in the past. The project also addresses the issues of women’s security and their access to justice in conflict and post-conflict setups.

• Security Sector Oversight by Non-Executive Institutions
  

  Past experience includes UNDP BRC’s Promoting Oversight and Greater Regional Engagement on the Security Sector regional project which was a CPR and Human Rights and Justice cross-practice venture. In partnership with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), UNDP has led initiatives to enhance the capacity of parliaments, ombuds institutions and civil society to ensure public oversight of the security sector by providing institutional capacity development assistance, facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues at the regional and sub-regional levels and preparing publications and training materials.