International Development Law Organization

Somalia Partnership for Penal Reform

The Somali Ministry of Justice and IDLO have agreed to work together on reforming Somalia's Penal and Criminal Procedure Codes. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), IDLO undertakes to provide technical support, while ensuring that the process remains Somali-driven. Signing the deal, Justice Minister Abudllahi Ahmed Jama said his government would see to it that the process was participatory and the public was fully engaged with it.

Speaking for IDLO, Director-General Irene Khan said the Organization was committed to helping Somalia develop its institutions. "Our interventions," she said, "are sensitive to local needs and context." IDLO has been present in Somalia for five years: its work ranges from support to the implementation of the Constitution to various rule-of-law building measures, including the relaunch of the Somali Bar Association. 

The signature of the MoU came on the heels of IDLO's Assembly of Parties, which Mr. Jama also attended.