Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have signed an agreement to launch a four-year, €10 million programme to strengthen the rule of law and improve access to justice in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a press release issued here on Thursday, the programme will work with provincial institutions to make justice and security services more accessible, particularly for women and vulnerable groups.
Building on previous EU support for Pakistan’s justice sector, the initiative will strengthen institutional capacity and accountability across law enforcement, prosecution, courts, prisons and mediation centres.
It will also promote alternative dispute resolution and address barriers to civil and criminal justice.
Jeroen Willems, head of partnerships at the EU Delegation to Pakistan, said the programme would help vulnerable people gain better access to police, prosecution services, courts and legal aid.
UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative Dr Samuel Rizk said access to justice enabled people to protect their rights, resolve disputes and build livelihoods and businesses.
UNODC Pakistan Representative Troels Vester said the two UN agencies would combine their expertise and work with the provincial governments to make justice services more accessible, accountable and responsive.
The programme will promote rights-based service delivery and sustainable reforms aligned with the rule-of-law roadmaps of both provinces, while advancing gender equality, human rights and the protection of vulnerable groups.
It is part of a €65 million cooperation package between the EU and the Government of Pakistan under the EU’s Support to the Rule of Law and Business Environment in Pakistan initiative.