Hague Setting for Wide-Ranging Rule of Law Debate
The rule of law is emerging as one of the most pressing issues of this century. It is a cornerstone of peace, security, justice and development.

Efficient, equitable and accessible justice systems are the lifeblood of the rule of law. For many years, building judicial capacity in the developing world was IDLO's sole area of intervention.
Today, while our mission and expertise has greatly expanded, we remain faithful to that early purpose. Building capacity in the judiciary is still the bulk of what we do, and what we are most recognized for. We do this in a variety of legal systems and traditions, working with local and international partners, with a strong emphasis on transition societies.
In the words of Kyrgyz Supreme Court Chair and IDLO interlocutor Feruza Z. Djumasheva, "Without successful judicial reforms, there will be no economic or social reform."
The rule of law is emerging as one of the most pressing issues of this century. It is a cornerstone of peace, security, justice and development.
Instability in the Sahel: Closing the Justice Gap - 9th Sahel Special Envoy Meeting
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Colleagues and friends,
IDLO has actively supported a wide range of e-justice initiatives in the Kyrgyz Republic to improve the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the judiciary through digital technologies.
“Back then, training was just done to tick a box,” recalled Mohammad Naeem Latoon, one of IDLO’s legal specialists working with the Afghan Supreme Court’s training department, looking back on how capacity development was implemented in Afghanistan almost a decade ago.
Despite reform efforts undertaken by the Government of Ukraine after the Maidan Revolution in 2014, Ukrainian citizens continue to regard criminal justice stakeholders with deep distrust. In 2019, the presidential and snap parliamentary elections resulted in a shift of the political environment, creating an opportunity to meaningfully advance anti-corruption reforms.
Although Myanmar is a Party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children in the country still suffer disproportionate risks of early marriage, sexual exploitation, trafficking, neglect and abuse. In order to address these challenges, in 2019, the parliament passed a new Child Rights Law which covers all aspects of a child’s life, including health, education, juvenile justice, children in armed conflict and alternative care arrangements. However, there is still a need to develop rules to guide the law’s implementation.
Ongoing automation processes are transforming Kenya’s judiciary into a fully-fledged e-court.
Distance learning, an online library, mentorships for judges, comprehensive training of court chairpersons and regional schools – these represent only part of the plans to transform the Kyrgyz judiciary after exchanges with judicial institutions in Italy, Armenia and Ukraine.
Strengthening the capacity of prosecutors, judges and lawyers in Rwanda in international criminal law is both important and timely. Over two decades after Rwanda’s genocide, the number of cases extradited and transferred from other countries to Rwanda continues to increase. Given that international criminal law is a complex and evolving field, prosecutors who appear in Transfer cases would benefit from skills allowing them to more accurately and effectively research and apply the latest judicial precedents.
Policy Statements
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