Access to a functioning and fair legal system is one of the pillars of sustainable peace and development, but has proved to be particularly challenging to achieve in Somalia. In 2013, a tragic attack at the Benadir Court killed at least 30 people, highlighting the urgent need to improve security for justice institutions and practitioners.
With support from UNDP and UNSOM, the Federal Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Justice is building a stronger, safer justice sector for the people of Somalia. The Benadir court complex pilot project had three components: rehabilitation of the infrastructure, selection and training of judicial protection staff, and the procurement of security equipment.
Somalia’s Minister of Justice, Abdullahi Ahmed Jama is leading the push for greater accountability, transparency and efficiency within government.
Renovation of the Benadir Court Complex directly supports the Peace-building and State-building Goals (PSGs) of the Somali Compact, in particular PSG 3: Establish independent and accountable justice institutions capable of addressing the justice needs of the people of Somalia by delivering justice for all.
The European Union Special Envoy and Ambassador to Somalia Michele Cervone d’Urso called upon judicial officers to lead by example and provide servant leadership.
“Thanks to generous support from the European Union and UK-DFID, we are able to support the Federal Government’s priorities to expand access to justice and build greater stability, rule of law and good governance,” said Mitch Dufresne, Chief Joint Justice and Corrections Section, Rule of Law and Security Institutions Group (ROLSIG) “This is instrumental in our efforts to strengthen government and civil society institutions to deliver fair and rights-based justice services.”
