Office
of Rule of Law and Security Institutions
In March 2000, the Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi
was requested by the UN Secretary-General to chair a high-level panel to
undertake a thorough review of the United Nations peace operations. The report
of the panel, the so called Brahimi Report presented a number of
recommendations. One of these recommendations was to have an integrated,
holistic approach to the rule of law.
In 2007, the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) was established
by Resolution A/RES/61/279 to provide this holistic approach to re-establishing
systems of justice and reinforce security, through disarmament, demobilization
and the reintegration of ex-combatants and through helping to deal with mine
fields and unexploded ordinance that remain following armed struggles.
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| Office Organogram |
OROLSI at the UN
Headquarters brings together the Police Division, the Criminal Law and Judicial
Advisory Service (CLJAS), the UN
Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Section (DDR) and the Security Sector Reform Unit. The overarching goal of
this Office is to support the work of UN missions to help national authorities
consolidate lasting peace by establishing justice and security systems. In
countries where United Nations peacekeeping operations are deployed, the United
Nations Secretary-General designated DPKO as the primary United Nations
counterpart with national authorities.
The Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Service (CLJAS), created in 2003, became a part of the DPKO Office in 2007.
The Service is responsible to support the implementation of rule of law,
justice and corrections mandates of United Nations peace operations managed by
the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
The Service is structured into three
units:
- The CLJAS Justice Team advises and supports
missions on substantive and operational matters; engages in planning for new
and evolving missions; participates in relevant DPKO and interagency
coordination groups and meetings; ensures that relevant Security Council
resolutions, Secretary-General’s reports and other United Nations official
documents reflect the activities, challenges and needs of Justice Components;
assists missions in mobilizing resources for their projects and programmes and
keeps mission personnel apprised of significant developments at United Nations
Headquarters.
- The CLJAS Corrections
Team
advises and supports missions on substantive and operational matters and
develops policy, guidance and training materials on correction matters.
- The CLJAS Policy Cell is responsible for
undertaking and coordinating the Service’s policy, guidance and training
efforts. It also represents DPKO on matters related to rule of law, human
rights and good governance.
A policy released in 2009 defined
the objectives, principles, functions and areas of intervention of justice
components of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions.[1]
Justice components may be engaged in
the following substantive areas:
1.
Immediate
effectiveness of criminal justice system
2.
Basic
justice infrastructure
3.
Legal
framework
4. Law schools
5.
Professional
training
6.
Judicial
independence
7. Integrity,
professionalism, accountability and transparency of justice actors
8.
Public
administration
9.
Court
administration and management
10. Access to justice and
victims’ rights
11. Gender justice
12. Justice for children
13. Civil (non-criminal) and
administrative law matters
14. Customary/traditional
justice mechanisms.