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ANNUAL REPORT 2021
©IDLO
Foreword
In 2021, the fragilities exposed and compounded by COVID-19 ignited into a set of interconnected humanitarian and development emergencies: from crises in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, the Sahel and most recently, the war in Ukraine, to increasingly severe weather events, and a global economic downturn. Against this grim backdrop and in the face of profound uncertainty as to what comes next, the importance of the rule of law to both peace and sustainable development shone through clearly. The past year challenged IDLO to innovate, reinvent and explore alternative approaches as we supported our partners to meet rising justice needs in some of the most complex parts of the world. This report presents just a few examples of the results we helped achieve during the first year of our new Strategic Plan 2021-2024. Under its new Strategic Plan, IDLO committed to putting people and their needs at the centre of justice systems and to promote the rule of law as a driver of peace and development. Responding to the rising need for protection, we supported empowerment initiatives to increase legal aid, advice and access to justice services. A promising area is work with customary and informal justice systems, which are used by the vast majority of people to resolve their disputes. Through initiatives like the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centres in Somalia, we worked with traditional leaders to raise awareness, build capacity and link informal systems to formal courts to expand access while ensuring greater respect for human rights. We also helped justice systems to better understand and respond to people’s needs. In the Sahel, for example, we supported community platforms called Cadres de Concerta-
