Survivor-centered Justice: Why Is It Essential for Ending Gender-based Violence?
Survivor-centered Justice: Why Is It Essential for Ending Gender-based Violence?

Despite being considered as a rapidly growing country both economically and socially, the Philippines still needs to improve its justice system to definitively obtain its status of newly developed country. In fact, the criminal justice system is characterized by ineffective case management, lack of adequate numbers of prosecutors, overburdening of existing prosecutors, and a lack of professional training. This results in long delays and a low conviction rate of less than 25%. IDLO is working to enhance the capacity of prosecutors in the Philippines.
IDLO and the Philippines have a history of collaboration. The Philippines became a Member Party in 1989 and, as its first activity in country, IDLO conducted trainings between 1996 and 2001. Since then, IDLO has benefited from the support of Professor Alfredo Flores Tadiar and former Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on its Board of Advisers, and the Philippines have been involved in IDLO activities since. The historic cooperation between IDLO and the Philippines leaves ample room for new developments to take place.
Survivor-centered Justice: Why Is It Essential for Ending Gender-based Violence?
Like all other parts of public life, the administration of justice and access to legal remedies and dispute resolution have been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 1998, while working as a Court Attorney in the Court of Appeals of the Philippines, Rowena Nieves A. Tan, had the opportunity to come to Rome to attend the “Development Lawyers Course”, a flagship 12-week course organized by IDLO to provide practical training on a range of basic lawyering skills, as well as more specialized legal topics.
The Philippines has come a long way in combating money laundering over the past decade, making significant progress on reforming its legal and regulatory framework and addressing deficiencies, but it still experiences substantial challenges in dealing with the complex, transnational issues posed by money laundering.
As countries seek to make progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16, there is growing recognition that it is essential to work with both state and non-state justice systems to strengthen the rule of law and effectively prevent and resolve conflicts.
Prosecutors play a key role in keeping criminals off the streets. But in the Philippines, day-to-day challenges can significantly hamper their work. A severe shortage of staff has resulted in a heavy workload for existing prosecutors, with individuals spread thinly across multiple courts.
The Philippines’ Office of the Ombudsman commemorated its 30 years of existence during a Joint Forum with IDLO in Manila on May 8, 2018. The Forum occurred as IDLO celebrates its 30th anniversary as an intergovernmental organization this year, marking a mutually significant occasion for both institutions.
Joint Forum – Why Our Work Matters? Revisiting Institutional Efforts on Justice and Integrity
The realization of justice depends on respect for institutions and the rule of law. By adhering to well-defined legislation, impartial rulings can facilitate a fair, efficient and accountable delivery of justice.
With rapidly growing economic and social sectors, the improvement of its justice system is key to the Philippines securing the status of a newly developed country. IDLO has been implementing a program in the Philippines to enhance the competency of prosecutors with a view to increasing the successful disposition of cases against public officials and efficiently addressing corruption.