Statement by the Director-General, Ms. Jan Beagle
New York, 10-12 June 2025
High-Level Opening Session
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
It is a pleasure to join this important conversation on behalf of IDLO, particularly as a former UNDP staff member.
The broad consensus on human rights and the rule of law, that has underpinned the international system since 1945, is currently under tremendous strain.
Redoubling our efforts to uphold that consensus is essential.
IDLO’s experience over the last 40 years has shown us that we must also tackle the “crisis of trust”.
People are increasingly sceptical that democratic governance, human rights and the rule of law are relevant to their challenges.
When institutions are unresponsive or inaccessible, corruption diverts resources from basic services, and laws are inconsistently applied, it undermines trust, weakens social cohesion, and fuels inequality and instability.
In a recent global survey by the Open Society Foundation called “Can Democracy Deliver” over 70% of respondents agreed that human rights are a force for good and reflect their values.
But most did not feel that human rights make a difference in their daily lives, with only 36% believing that human rights protect them.
At the global level, selective application of international law has undermined faith in the multilateral system.
All of us in this room, I am sure, believe as I do, that the rule of law, access to justice, and rights-based governance are the bedrock of peace and sustainable development.
The challenge before us is to turn the inspirational ideals in charters and declarations into meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
So the major focus of IDLO’s new Strategic Plan is to support countries and communities to develop practical, targeted rule of law solutions that enable their development priorities.
We see three factors as critical for success.
First, we must bring justice closer to the people.
A people-centred approach is essential to address the mismatch between the rising demand and limited supply of justice.
We must reorient justice systems around a better understanding of people’s needs, and respect for their human rights, through combining top-down and bottom-up approaches.
Reforms should be grounded in existing capacity and structures, and support the diverse pathways that people take to resolve disputes, and claim their rights, from digital spaces to customary, faith-based and Indigenous justice systems.
We must also recognize the widening gender justice gap. At IDLO we focus on addressing discriminatory laws and practices.
For example, in Somalia, IDLO is working with UNDP and other partners to strengthen capacities to deliver judicial services, and counter illicit financial flows and terrorist financing.
Last year, our support led to Somalia’s first civilian conviction for terrorism financing, the successful prosecution of 250 cases and the seizure of significant assets.
We also collaborate on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centres that provide cost-effective dispute resolution at the community level.
In 2023, these Centres handled over 7,000 cases and received thousands more inquiries via their hotlines.
But while most of the disputes related to land or family matters, we observed that very few women were using the Centres because of the lack of women adjudicators.
In response, we increased the number of women in client-facing positions, and last year over 50% of those visiting the Centres were women.
The Centres reduce the burden on justice institutions, strengthen the rights of women and other marginalized groups, and prevent extremist actors from filling the justice vacuum.
IDLO and UNDP are also leading members of the Working Group on Customary and Informal Justice and SDG 16+, which shares good practices and advocates for engagement with CIJ institutions as essential parts of the justice ecosystem.
Second, we need to prioritize the issues that people care about most.
While the rule of law is recognized as an enabler for the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, the focus of interventions has traditionally been on civil and political rights.
But we must also deliver on the social and economic rights which are high on people’s minds – from food security to access to land and economic opportunity.
The rule of law encourages economic growth by providing stability and certainty and enabling fair dispute resolution.
For example, in Kenya, IDLO has helped to establish small claims courts, which are mandated to conclude cases within 60 days, with an actual average resolution rate of 37 days, providing services for small and medium enterprises, many of them headed by women, and increasing investor confidence.
When I was in Kenya, Chief Justice Martha Koome told me that these courts had been game changers, increasing trust in institutions and improving people’s lives.
Third, at a time of constrained resources and growing needs, we must be more coordinated, targeted and focused on results and practical outcomes, rooted in local contexts.
It is important to understand the political economy of justice – the impact of legal and institutional reforms and the power dynamics that drive or hinder progress.
It is essential to identify champions that can navigate cultural sensitivities and mobilize political will. That is why IDLO prioritizes building relationships of trust with our partners.
Mechanisms for community engagement, and facilitating dialogue between people and government, are particularly important in conflict-affected contexts.
In the Sahel, for example, IDLO seeks to strengthen public engagement with the criminal justice chain in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger through consultation platforms called Cadres de Concertation.
Impunity, prolonged pre-trial detention, and poor custodial conditions are major sources of grievances, especially for youth and remote communities.
In Burkina Faso and Niger, IDLO is working to reduce the backlog of cases and pre-trial detention.
These efforts complement UNDP’s efforts to improve prison management in Niger.
I want to emphasize that a commitment to rights-based governance must be matched by investment.
Justice is often considered a luxury rather than an essential public service – a fact reflected in the low priority given to justice in national budgets and development assistance.
If we invest smartly, we can not only close the justice gap, but also generate significant progress on peace and sustainable development. This was a key message of the SDG16 Conference co-organized by IDLO, Italy and DESA last month.
Closing the justice gap for women and girls can bring tremendous gains for development, as highlighted in a forthcoming report of IDLO, UNDP, UN Women, Pathfinders and others.
IDLO looks forward to partnering with you to keep justice, rights and the rule of law high on the agenda, including at the Financing for Development Conference, the High-Level Political Forum and the World Social Summit, and through networks like the Justice Action Coalition.
We are committed to strengthening our collaboration with UNDP, and all partners, to support innovative, integrated approaches that place the rule of law and access to justice at the heart of governance, development and peace-building.
Before concluding, I would like to pay tribute to all our colleagues in the field. Last night our office in Kyiv was struck by a drone. Fortunately, none of our staff were injured. This reminds us of the challenges our colleagues are facing in many locations in delivering on our mandates.
