Joint planning and delivery of assistance to police, justice and corrections areas by various United Nations entities through the Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law have created greater effectiveness and efficiencies in peacekeeping operations and special political missions;

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2447 (2018)
S/RES/2447

The Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law

The Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law (GFP) is a United Nations coordination mechanism established in 2012 by the UN Secretary-General to enhance predictability, coherence, accountability and effectiveness in the delivery of UN rule of law assistance at country and international levels.

At Headquarters, the GFP arrangement is co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO). GFP’s partners include the Executive Office of the Secretary General (EOSG), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and UN Women. In addition, the GFP brings together other UN entities working in the rule of law area, including the Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, UNICEF, the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), etc.

In the field, the most senior United Nations official in-country is responsible and accountable for guiding and overseeing UN rule of law strategies, for resolving political obstacles and for coordinating UN country support on the rule of law, without prejudice to the specialised roles and specific mandates of UN entities in-country.

The GFP arrangement provides country support in the areas of justice, corrections, police and security sector reform. It also promotes UN norms and standards, including gender mainstreaming and human rights-based approaches in crisis and conflict-affected settings.

Joint rule of law initiatives among GFP partners reflect the integrated ONE UN approach. In particular, the GFP achieves impact by:

  • Supporting joint design and implementation of rule of law projects and programmes;

  • Responding effectively to field requests for the deployment of expertise;

  • Providing seed-funding to joint rule of law projects and programmes;

  • Conducting joint assessment missions and deployments;

  • Facilitating information-sharing among different UN rule of law entities;

  • Developing knowledge products and facilitating consultations on policy and guidance documents;

  • Organizing regular meetings both at technical and political level, to improve coordination;

  • Supporting resource mobilization efforts for joint rule of law initiatives at HQ and in the field;

The GFP operates in multiple settings, from countries where peacekeeping or special political missions are present, to transitions (in the context of peace operations’ drawdown, reconfiguration, withdrawal or follow-on), to non-mission settings.

Since its establishment, the GFP has supported rule of law work in the following countries:

  • Conflict and Post-Conflict settings including Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Kosovo*, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen
  • Transition settings including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti
  • Prevention and Sustaining Peace settings including Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Jamaica, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, Zambia

* References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)

Global Focal Point of the Rule of Law

GFP FACTSHEET

Click to Download

GFP PROGRESS REPORTS

Click to Download

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information, please contact:
GFP Core Team, globalfocalpoint@un.org

Examples of Joint Rule of Law Work from the Field

Joint Rule of Law Programme in the Central African Republic

GFP Prison Mandela Project in Mali

The Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law Partners