In fragile and conflict-affected settings, the state is often unable to fulfil its primary obligation: to protect the population and maintain the rule of law. Security and justice providers like police and courts are unresponsive and citizens bear the burden, with women, youth and the poorest disproportionally affected.
Shrinking space for civil society
Local voices in civil society are the foundation upon which our security and justice initiatives are built. Unfortunately, in recent years, the space for civil society to advocate and lobby for fundamental rights has shrunk significantly.
In several countries, the right to congregate was prohibited by authorities, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Such measures reduced citizens’ freedom of speech, undermining attempts to hold authorities accountable.
In Mali, the democratically elected government was overthrown by the military, which subsequently limited the ability of civil society actors to operate freely.
From the perspective of security and justice, one of the most challenging moments was the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban. The collapse of the Afghan government has had severe consequences for the position of women and has curtailed opportunities for civil society to advocate for inclusion.
Despite these challenges, we continued our work, supporting local civil society actors with tools to develop effective advocacy agendas and bring their voices to international fora like the UN.
Better security, justice and governance outcomes
We strengthen the capacities of people, communities and civil society to effectively advocate and act to achieve better security, justice and governance outcomes.
We do this through joint research and analysis of the needs and priorities of justice seekers and capacity strengthening for better advocacy and influencing strategies.
We connect local advocacy initiatives with regional and international lobby and advocacy, ensuring that the voice of communities is heard and amplified by international stakeholders.
