The Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Service (CLJAS) promotes the rule of law by addressing issues related to justice and correctional systems in conflict and post-conflict environments. CLJAS supports colleagues in justice and correction components in peace operations by providing technical advice and assistance, delivering training, producing policy and guidance material and assisting with recruitment and budgetary matters.
Justice and corrections components currently exist in eight DPKO-led peacekeeping operations, in the Central African Republic, Darfur (Sudan), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Mali and South Sudan. Justice and corrections support is also provided by Special Political Missions (SPMs) led by the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, Libya and Somalia.
To strengthen the effectiveness of justice and corrections endeavours in missions, CLJAS proposes to convene a meeting of the heads of all justice and corrections components of peace operations from 15-17 June 2016. The last Heads of Components Meeting (HCM) took place in April 2014. That meeting, which was supported by the German Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF) and the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), provided an opportunity for engagement with Member States, senior United Nations leadership, colleagues from across the United Nations system and external partners, including the European Union and the World Bank. In exchanges with senior United Nations leadership, the need for focused engagement on rule of law issues by mission leadership was recognized as essential. The importance of increasing efforts to place rule of law issues at the forefront of political messaging, given its critical contribution to securing peace and stability, was also agreed upon.
Mandate outputs / products
The HCM will be organized and managed by CLJAS. CLJAS will produce a report on the HCM within two months of the event’s conclusion. The report will capture key outcomes, recommendations and agreed ways of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of justice and corrections initiatives in the field.
Outcome objectives of mandate
The HCM will enable senior justice and corrections personnel to:
- take stock of the activities and achievements of their components;
- exchange expertise and best practices;
- share experiences of mission-specific and broader challenges and lessons learned;
- identify areas where support, guidance or policy development and training are required;
- consider how Headquarters might best support colleagues in the field;
- make recommendations to strengthen the effectiveness, efficiency and cohesiveness of justice and corrections endeavours across mission settings (including start-ups and those currently drawing down); and
- explore how to deepen relationships within the United Nations (particularly with respect to the implementation of the Global Focal Point arrangement) and with external partners, focusing on a holistic approach to rule of law.
The HCM will also serve as a platform for engagement with representatives of the Friends of Corrections and a small number of select Member States and organizations. This interaction with external partners will enable the heads of justice and corrections components to showcase their contributions to peace and security in the field, explain the challenges they face and seek relevant support. External partners will be able to engage in in-depth discussions with DPKO justice and corrections experts, including on topics of special interest or concern to Member States and organizations.
Overall, the HCM will assist the heads of justice and corrections components to strengthen the delivery, impact and visibility of their efforts in the field.