UN Peace Operations and Rule of Law Assistance in Africa 1989-2010

This report presents new empirical and systematic data on two decades of UN rule of law assistance in Africa, covering a total of 36 UN peace operations. It provides a birds-eye view and identifies trends, challenges and possibilities.

Seven areas of rule of law assistance are examined, including: (1) judicial reform, (2) constitutional reform, (3) law reform, (4) rule of law in public administration reform, (5) legal awareness and access to justice reform, (6) law enforcement reform, and (7) reforms of detentions, and prisons.

The report shows that the volume of rule of law assistance has increased over past decades and that most rule of law assistance is directed towards the justice chain (judiciary, police and detentions, and prisons).  Since 2000 it has been possible to observe a broader scope of assistance in the areas of access and legislative reform, though such support seems to be less consistent over the course of time. The report also shows that apart from mentoring, advice and technical assistance (which are integral to all UN operations), rule of law assistance relies chiefly on capacity-building through training and support to infrastructure.

These and other topics lead to a number of crucial and forward-looking questions on the UN’s rule of law assistance in war-torn societies. The findings in this report can inform and inspire debate and discussion on the UN’s commitment to the rule of law, enhance and extend good practices, innovations and accumulated experiences, and bridge critical capacity-gaps in a broader range of rule of law areas.