Woman working in a municipality next to a kid driving a bike

Security and Justice

Security and Justice

Summary

Aligned with the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP), and the Recovery, Reform and Reconstruction Framework (3RF), the Security and Justice project has the promotion of social stability and safeguarding of human rights at its core. It seeks to safeguard, reform and transform security and justice service delivery for crisis affected populations in Lebanon.

Background

Justice and security institutions are facing unprecedented challenges in the current Lebanese context, characterised by a multidimensional crisis that has exacerbated people’s vulnerabilities, devastated the national economy, pushed thousands into poverty, and deeply affected stability throughout the country. These challenges are eroding women and vulnerable groups’ protection space and increasing the risk of human rights violations.

The current crisis is threatening the core functioning of rule of law institutions, with the concern now too often shifting from “inefficient” service delivery to “incapacity” to ensure basic security and justice services. Such a trend is contributing to worsening the security context - actual and perceived - fueling further distrust in the State and translating into increased recourse to informal security and justice arrangements.

The effective, accountable and inclusive functioning of security and justice institutions is a sine qua non condition for creating and maintaining a conducive environment for implementing the reform agenda, laying the groundwork for the needed redefinition of the social contract, while safeguarding the rights of an increasingly embattled population, especially women. Stability and, by extension, development hinge on the people of Lebanon having a sense of security derived from Rule of law institutions that can define and enforce rights and obligations; settle disputes in a predictable manner that encourages fair competition and economic growth; and can guarantee that all, regardless of gender,  are treated equally and in a human-rights-compliant manner.

In response, UNDP is putting forward an integrated three-track approach which aims at safeguarding, reforming and transforming security and justice service delivery for crisis-affected populations in Lebanon: 

  •  Track 1: Preventing the collapse of security and justice institutions by safeguarding their effective functioning and gender-responsive service delivery, through targeted and punctual support.
  • Track 2: Supporting the comprehensive development and implementation of the reform of security and justice institutions, with a strong focus on oversight, accountability and gender-inclusion. 
  • Track 3: Consolidating and expanding the ongoing people-centered and gender transformation of security and justice institutions as an instrument of social cohesion and stability. 

Major achievements

  • Municipal Police Reform implemented through a unified strategic framework articulated around five components developed in partnership with the Ministry of Interior, and being piloted at local level through a communication for development (C4D) approach.
  • Over 300 municipalities across Lebanon are now complying with elements of the reform and are active in transforming their municipal police into a community police.
  • More than 260,000 people from 75 villages are now able to benefit from police services in line with community policing standards.
  • Spearheaded efforts to institutionalize Legal Aid in partnership with UNHCR through the “Access to Justice” Working Group chaired by the Ministry of Justice. Four Legal Aid Helpdesks have been established and provided free and quality legal aid services to over 19,000 beneficiaries (62% of which are women).
  • Ensuring the comprehensive implementation of fundamental guaranteed during the preliminary investigation phase; including free legal assistance and audio/video recordings of interrogations.
  • Spearheaded an inclusive and just post-August 4th Beirut blast recovery through the production of a “Leave no one behind”-report and support to provision of legal aid services to victims of the explosion.
  • Strengthened capacities of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), including its post August 4th blast human rights monitoring capacities and capacities to monitor places of detention (in partnership with OHCHR).
  • Established an inclusive justice forum to enable national sector stakeholders to tackle the challenges facing justice institutions and justice service delivery and develop a national roadmap for the reform of the sector. 
  • Developed, coordinated and led advocacy effort on independence of the judiciary legislation and need for its development through an inclusive and participatory process through UNDP leadership of 3RF justice sector.
  • Supported the rehabilitation of two prisons and enhanced health protection measures to ensure protection of basic human rights and dignified living conditions to detainees.
 
Project Outcome: 
  • Promote community policing in Lebanon, including by the transformation the municipal police into a human rights and people centered service 
  • Increase access to justice, particularly for the most vulnerable, through the promotion of institutionalized free and quality legal aid services
  •  Enhance the independence, effectiveness and accountability of justice institutions
  • Strengthen national human rights promotion and protection mechanisms
     
GESI Component: 
  • The inclusion of recruitment of both female and male agents as a core component of the Municipal Police reform programme.
  • Development of a dedicated protection module in the Municipal Police training curriculum to ensure agents are better sensitized to the specific needs of SGBV survivors.
  • Transformation of the Batroun ISF station into a model station for SGBV response.
  • Publication of a report on Women in the Municipal Police.
  • Development of a study on the importance of community security in the fight against GBV and gender sensitive policing.
  • Provision of free and comprehensive legal aid to over 11,500 women.
  • Over 8900 women and young girls benefitted from awareness sessions on GBV and gender equality. 
  • 8972 awareness on sexual and gender-based violence for women and young girls through legal aid helpdesks.
  • Implementation of Communication for Development activities in the North and South areas to empower women and local community members to speak up against SGBV and promote available reporting/referral mechanisms.  

Impact

START DATE

September 2017

END DATE

December 2025

STATUS

Ongoing

PROJECT OFFICE

Lebanon

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER

United Nations Development Programme

DONORS

DEPARTMENT FOR INT'L DEVELOPMENT (DFID)

Dept of Forgn Afrs Trade & Dev

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

GOVERNMENT OF DENMARK

GOVERNMENT OF NETHERLANDS

SWISS-Fed Dept Foreign Affairs

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

US Department of State

US Int'l Narcotics & Law Enfmnt Affairs

Universidad Autonoma Tabasco

Unspecified

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

$13,665,252

DELIVERY IN PREVIOUS YEARS

2017$-13,883

2018$1,090,877

2019$1,809,287

2020$1,751,057

2021$1,899,534

2022$1,673,234

2023$2,519,493

2024$1,683,246

Full Project information