A map of United Nations Rule of Law Assistance: Peace Operations in Africa 1989-2010
By systematically examining UN practices on rule of law in peace operations, the Folke Bernadotte Academy has created a “United Nations rule of law map”. The mapping spans 1989-2010, covering all United Nations peace operations in Africa. The “United Nations rule of law map” is the first of its kind. The data offers a descriptive birds-eye view, and allows for analyses of past and ongoing practices of the United Nations, and the identification of trends, challenges and opportunities in United Nations rule of law assistance. Read more about the project.
A first report on United Nations rule of law assistance in Africa will be published early 2012. A second report on UN rule of law assistance will be published by the end of 2012.
Assisting International Criminal Investigations
Peacekeeping often takes place in environments where war crimes and other serious violations of international law have been committed or are still being committed. It is therefore important that international actors present in these areas - whether journalists, observers, peacekeepers or – understand how they can best assist the work of international criminal courts, tribunals and transitional justice entities.
In order for information provided to international courts to be useful for investigations and admissible in court, the material must be handled and processed correctly from the time of collection until its transfer to the custody of the appropriate investigative organisations. Mistakes made during this phase may not be possible to correct later.
The Handbook on Assisting International Criminal Investigations provides people who are not lawyers or investigators with the basic knowledge needed to correctly identify, gather and forward information on possible international crimes to international criminal courts and tribunals, and to understand what is expected of witnesses testifying in international criminal trials.
The forms from the handbook can be downloaded in A4 format below. The forms for “Unidentified Corpse: Recovery site sketch”, “Witness intake sheet” and “Investigative Scene Sketch” are reproduced with permission from the Handbook of Human Rights Investigation 2nd Edition by Dermot Groome.
Information Registration Form
Unidentified Corpse: Recovery site sketch
Witness intake sheet
Investigative Scene Sketch
The Folke Bernadotte Academy’s Research Working Group on Rule of Law
On the 16-17 December 2010, the Folke Bernadotte Academy’s research working group on rule of law held its first meeting in Stockholm. Participants in the research working group come from a broad range of academic centers and institutions, including, the Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law, Australia National University, U.S National Defense University, and the School of Oriental and African Studies. The Research Working Group provides an important platform for discussion and knowledge development in rule of law.
More information on the Research Working Group: Gazing into the crystal-ball: Observations, ideas and recommendations from the Folke Bernadotte Academy’s Research Working Group on Rule of Law.
Developing Guidelines for Monitoring Administrative Justice
The project on developing guidelines for monitoring administrative justice seek to strengthen individual rights in relation to the public sector, with the potential to promote necessary reforms and direct capacity-building efforts in the public administration and administrative justice domain. The project also generates knowledge and enhances methodologies in rule of law, human rights and public administration reform. The project is conducted in cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Read more about the project.
Professional Rule of Law
Rule of law assistance is now a multi-billion dollar ‘industry’ with bilateral, multilateral and private funding. The project seeks to establish what kind of knowledge, skills and professional qualities that are needed to match the rule of law industry’s expansion, and how they can be effectively conveyed to current and future rule of law professionals - resulting in more effective, efficient and sustainable rule of law promotion. Read more about the project.
Rule of Law in Public Administration
The 2008 research report, Rule of Law in Public Administration: Problems and Ways Ahead in Peace-building and Development , demonstrates that in many peace and state building environments, public administration reform as well as justice sector reform, are promoted as separate projects and underpinned by different objectives.
This difference is a problem since administrative authorities are the principal interfaces between the individual and the state, and as such effectively determine the conditions for a peaceful life and economic recovery.
Measuring Rule of Law in Public Administration: Tool and Guide for Self Assessment
The Rule of Law programme initiated in 2009 further research on the development of a self-assessment tool and guide for measuring rule of law dimensions of public administration.
The self-assessment tool draws upon established international norms and principles on good administration and the rule of law, as well as accumulated best practices for assessing public administration, the justice sector, and other specific aspects of governance. The tool was developed on the basis of consultations with national and international actors, including the UN, World Bank, OSCE, the EU, USIP and others, in addition to field studies conducted in Indonesia, Colombia and the West Bank.
The draft tool will be piloted during 2011 in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program. Read more about the first pilot.
The Administration and You
The Rule of Law programme will update the Council of Europe's handbook "The Administration and You" with the work that the Council of Europe and its member states have undertaken in the field of good administration since 1996.
Local Ownership
Another example of research initiatives at the Rule of Law Programme is the project on national and local ownership in rule of law reform. The two reports, one for policy makers, and one for practitioners on the establishment of local ownership after conflict based on field studies to peace and state building missions. The starting point for the project was that the establishment of the rule of law is a precondition for sustainable peacebuilding and development. It was concluded that one of the main challenges for strengthening rule of law after conflict was the transferral of the responsibility for public order and the rule of law, and thereby the implementation of the principle of local ownership. The project hence focused on this particular challenge, which resulted in the reports.
For more information on Research and Policy Development please contact the Rule of Law Programme.