Building on previous EU support to strengthen Pakistan’s justice sector, the programme brings together the complementary expertise of UNDP and UNODC. It will work with provincial institutions to make justice and security services more accessible, particularly for women and vulnerable groups across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Welcoming the Agreement, Mr. Jeroen Willems, Head of Partnerships at the EU Delegation to Pakistan, said, “Access to justice is fundamental to protecting people’s rights. Our investments in the past have had a real impact.
Over the next four years, this EU-funded programme will continue to help the most vulnerable gain better access to the police, prosecution, courts and legal aid in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We are therefore pleased to partner with the UNDP and UNODC as our implementing partners and continue to deliver justice to those that are most deserving.”
The programme will contribute to greater stability, resilience and human development while advancing gender equality, human rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations across the justice chain. From law enforcement and prosecution to courts, prisons and mediation centres, the programme focuses on strengthening accountability, alternative dispute resolution and institutional capacity to address barriers to civil and criminal justice.
“There is no development without justice. When people can trust the law to protect their rights, resolve disputes and provide effective remedies, they are better able to build livelihoods, businesses and futures,” said Dr. Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan. “Through this programme, UNDP, UNODC and the European Union are joining forces to help translate that trust into more accessible and responsive justice services.”
The initiative will promote rights-based service delivery, stronger institutional ownership, and sustainable reforms aligned with the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rule of Law Roadmaps.
On the work ahead, Mr. Troels Vester, Representative UNODC Pakistan, emphasized that, “Together with UNDP, we will combine our expertise and build on our longstanding partnerships with the Governments of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure that over the next four years, the work we do with justice institutions is felt by the people it serves, through services that are more accessible, accountable and responsive.”
The programme forms part of a EUR 65 million cooperation package between the EU and the Government of Pakistan and falls under the EU’s Support to the Rule of Law and Business Environment in Pakistan initiative – one of the three programmes launched through the package.