Legal aid has been at the core of the engagement of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in the rule of law (RoL) sector since 2007 to help increase stability and security in the country. In particular, the Mission has been working with other international partners in order to expand the establishment of the Bureaux d’Assistance Légale (BAL) across Haiti.

A key partner of MINUSTAH, in this regard, is the Haiti Justice Sector Strengthening Programme (JSSP/USAID), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). To facilitate the access of Haitians, particularly those who are indigent and vulnerable, to legal advice, legal representation and mediation services, JSSP/USAID aims to support improvements to the BAL and explore alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Managed by the local bar associations, the general objectives of the BAL are to:

• Provide legal assistance to indigent persons including those held in pre-trial detention;
• Reduce the length of pre-trial detention;
• Reduce the level of violence and criminality in disadvantaged neighbourhoods;
• Ensure that access to justice is respected as a right, and that it is systematically enforced in criminal proceedings;
• Deliver civic education, including the training of community leaders; and
• Provide mediation services as an alternative dispute resolution method.

As MINUSTAH proceeds with its transitional planning and JSSP/USAID plans further support to legal aid, in light of the need for further improvement, the streamlining of procedures and methodology, as well as the strengthening of programme coordination, development and operational effectiveness, it is opportune to take stock of the good practices and lessons learned from the BAL initiatives.

Such a lessons learned study will feed into planning for the MINUSTAH transition and help to consolidate the legacy of the United Nations in developing the rule of law sector in Haiti. It will also help inform the DPKO Headquarters, other United Nations peace operations and United Nations funds and programs regarding the approaches applied in Haiti.

1. 31 Jan and 1 Feb 2017: Conduct two days of training on SSR as part of the German General Staff Course (OF3 level - majors) on operational-level planning and leadership. The course will prepare the students to perform roles and responsibilities as planners on the operational level. They will thus be able to fulfill their specific duties in the upcoming exercises at the College against the background of the CERASIA scenario. 
    
2. 16 February 2017: Receive the annual visit from the Staff College to DCAF. Up to 15 OF3 will take part in the visit to International Geneva.

Entre 2015 et 2016, DCAF-ISSAT a mené pour la France une analyse de 15 projets identifiés comme des projets RSS. Pour cela 3 experts du DCAF-ISSAT ont été mobilisés pour ce travail et ont conduit des études sur le terrain dans trois pays, à savoir au Burkina Faso, en Guinée Conakry, et en Côte d'Ivoire. 

Entre 2015 et 2016, DCAF-ISSAT a mené pour la France une analyse de 15 projets identifiés comme des projets RSS. Pour cela 3 experts du DCAF-ISSAT ont été mobilisés pour ce travail et ont conduit des études sur le terrain dans trois pays, à savoir au Burkina Faso, en Guinée Conakry, et en Côte d'Ivoire. 

Entre 2015 et 2016, DCAF-ISSAT a mené pour la France une analyse de 15 projets identifiés comme des projets RSS. Pour cela 3 experts du DCAF-ISSAT ont été mobilisés pour ce travail et ont conduit des études sur le terrain dans trois pays, à savoir au Burkina Faso, en Guinée Conakry, et en Côte d'Ivoire. 

Entre 2015 et 2016, DCAF-ISSAT a mené pour la France une analyse de 15 projets identifiés comme des projets RSS. Pour cela 3 experts du DCAF-ISSAT ont été mobilisés pour ce travail et ont conduit des études sur le terrain dans trois pays, à savoir au Burkina Faso, en Guinée Conakry, et en Côte d'Ivoire. 

A morning seminar (08:30-11:30) providing top level principles and frameworks for security and justice sector reform programming. It will focus specifically on defence reform, defence institution capacity building and the military contribution to security and justice sector reform.

Target group: Colonels and above at 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC), as well as civil servant equivalents, and staff of NGOs and civil-society organisations.

The seminar aims to:

• Provide an awareness of the concept of SSR;
• Provide an overview of the policy frameworks of various international organisations;
• Show linkages with peace enforcement, peace-support operations, peace-keeping operations and stabilisation operations;
• Discuss roles of the military within the concept of SSR concept, including at the planning process, and in train and equip endeavours or security force assistance (SFA).

Additional support is provided to the Netherlands input on Thursday 21 May regarding incorporating non-state actors in SSR programming.

ISSAT supported the Folke Bernadotte Academy with a mapping of the current and planned bilateral country support to justice and security sector reform in Ukraine. This included gathering short analysis of the main findings of any recent or current assessments. The project was conducted as a desk study. 

ISSAT has been requested by the Irish Defence Forces to support a workshop which aims at evaluating the role of the Defence Forces in supporting SSR and at considering future options for the Defence Forces and its national partners.

This workshop is organised in response to the recent adoption by the UN General Assembly of UNSCR 2151 on the national ownership of SSR processes, and the ongoing contribution of the Irish Defence   Forces personnel to SSR programmes in Kosovo (KFOR), Mali (EUTM) and Uganda (EUTM Somalia).

In keeping with the principles of SSR, the workshop is structured to capture perspectives from across the SSR spectrum and   therefore bring together civilian and military practitioners and analysts   with experience of governance, rule of law, police reform, defence reform, justice reform, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration from across the Irish government.

ISSAT has been requested by the Irish Defence Forces to support a workshop which aims at evaluating the role of the Defence Forces in supporting SSR and at considering future options for the Defence Forces and its national partners.

This workshop is organised in response to the recent adoption by the UN General Assembly of UNSCR 2151 on the national ownership of SSR processes, and the ongoing contribution of the Irish Defence   Forces personnel to SSR programmes in Kosovo (KFOR), Mali (EUTM) and Uganda (EUTM Somalia).

In keeping with the principles of SSR, the workshop is structured to capture perspectives from across the SSR spectrum and   therefore bring together civilian and military practitioners and analysts   with experience of governance, rule of law, police reform, defence reform, justice reform, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration from across the Irish government.