ANGOLA EVALUATION OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

BRIEF PROJECT HISTORY: In November 2013, the IBCR invited an Angolan delegation to take part in the African workshop on police practices adapted to children. Following the workshop, several discussions were held over a two-year period with UNICEF Angola’s team in order to develop an action plan. During this period, UNICEF received significant support from the European Union to support justice reform in Angola. In July 2015, following a request for proposals, the IBCR was chosen to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the juvenile justice system and help lay the groundwork for the implementation of an EU-supported reform project. The mandate is based on the approaches and methods developed during the analyses and evaluations recently carried out on juvenile justice systems in Djibouti, Morocco and the Philippines. This is the IBCR’s first mandate in a Portuguese-speaking country and first contract in the history of the IBCR with a UNICEF office in Southern Africa.

GOALS:

Develop targeted and tangible recommendations to reinforce the justice system for Angolan children and adjust current reforms according to relevant international standards and instruments

Assess the efficiency, impact, relevance and sustainability of the justice system for children and of actions taken up to now, in order to adapt them to the rights of children

PARTNERS: UNICEF Angola, Department of Justice and Human Rights, Department of the Interior, Department of Social Security and Reintegration

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Two field missions with four IBCR representatives for a total duration of 10 weeks

Summary evaluation report submitted to UNICEF for validation The completion and publishing of the report will take place next year

Three missions within the country (Huila, Bié and Moxico) to meet with local stakeholders and evaluate the country’s current situation (outside of the capital, Luanda)

Informal group discussions with a dozen children in conflict with the law

About 30 reports, action plans and legislative enactments translated from Portuguese to English

Over 100 reports analysed during document review

41 members of the justice system met with during the first mission