Justice Action Update #9
Senior-Level Meeting in Warsaw, Poland
On June 23, 2025, the Coalition convened a hybrid senior-level meeting in Warsaw, Poland, alongside the World Justice Forum.
Representatives from thirteen member countries (Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, and Sweden) joined thirteen partner organizations to reflect on the Coalition’s collective achievements and future direction.
Discussions highlighted tangible progress across multiple workstreams, including the advancement of a global measurement framework, activation of the Catalytic Fund, and a significant evolution of the Justice Financing Framework (JFF) from a concept towards a concrete framework with benchmarks. Participants agreed on the importance of embedding people-centered justice in broader global agendas such as economic stability, migration, and peacebuilding. There was strong consensus on continuing the Coalition’s work beyond 2025, with a renewed strategic focus and more sustainable support mechanisms.
Countries (Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, and Sweden) joined thirteen partner organizations to reflect on the Coalition’s collective achievements and future direction.
Discussions highlighted tangible progress across multiple workstreams, including the advancement of a global measurement framework, activation of the Catalytic Fund, and a significant evolution of the Justice Financing Framework (JFF) from a concept towards a concrete framework with benchmarks. Participants agreed on the importance of embedding people-centered justice in broader global agendas such as economic stability, migration, and peacebuilding. There was strong consensus on continuing the Coalition’s work beyond 2025, with a renewed strategic focus and more sustainable support mechanisms.
Justice Financing at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)
At the FfD4, held in Seville, Spain, members of the Coalition co-organized a high-level event on financing for justice, in partnership with Sierra Leone, the African Center of Excellence for Access to Justice (ACE-AJ), the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the Legal Empowerment Fund, the Mott Foundation, the Transparency, Accountability, and Participation (TAP) Network, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The discussion centered on building the investment case for frontline justice services and presented the evolving JFF as a practical tool for setting national budget priorities towards people-centered justice.
The session drew strong engagement from finance and development actors, signaling growing recognition that justice is not merely an aspirational value but an essential component of sustainable development.
High-Level Political Forum
On July 21, 2025, H.E. Luis Madera, Vice-Minister for Monitoring and Government Coordination of the Dominican Republic, delivered a statement on behalf of the Coalition at the 2025 High-Level Political Forum. He emphasized that “delivering on the promise to Leave No One Behind means using justice as the key to achieving equal, inclusive, and sustainable development.”
The statement urged governments and development partners to move beyond rhetoric and invest meaningfully in justice, particularly for those most often excluded, including women and children, and to view justice as a foundational investment in prevention, peace, and societal resilience.
UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee
On October 8, 2025, Ms. Lucía Solano, Counselor and Legal Adviser at the Permanent Mission of Colombia to the UN, delivered a statement on behalf of the Coalition at the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee.
The intervention reaffirmed the Coalition’s commitment to advancing people-centered justice under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.3, calling for greater investment in community-based mechanisms, improved justice data, and sustainable financing models to ensure that justice systems are accessible, effective, and inclusive, particularly for marginalized groups.
International Open Justice Conference
The Coalition also played an active role at the first International Open Justice Conference, held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on August 27–28. Organized by the Dominican Judiciary and the International Open Justice Network in partnership with the Open Government Partnership, the conference explored the intersection between open justice and people-centered justice approaches.
Coalition representatives from Sierra Leone, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Sri Lanka, and Chile, and partner organizations such as the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), Namati, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, the World Justice Project (WJP), and the World Bank, shared compelling examples of how open justice initiatives can reinforce accessibility, accountability, and citizen empowerment within justice systems.
Justice Action Coalition High-Level Meeting and OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice Briefing
The Coalition’s Board met in July and September to discuss the Coalition’s evolving strategic direction. Members reviewed progress across core priorities and reaffirmed the Coalition’s value as a platform for joint action among governments and partners. They emphasized sustaining momentum on evidence, programming, communications, and financing, while keeping coordination lean and responsive. The Board endorsed an agile Secretariat and clear, member-led direction to drive practical delivery and measurable results.
As a prelude to the Justice Action Coalition High-level Meeting and the OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice, the Permanent Mission of Spain to the UN, together with Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies and the OECD, convened a briefing for all Justice Action Coalition Permanent Missions and OECD members in New York on these two major gatherings in Madrid this fall.
The briefing underscored that equal access to justice is fundamental to human rights, accountable governance, and the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG 16. Speakers outlined the policy relevance of both events, highlighted opportunities for meaningful engagement, including ministerial-level participation, and emphasized how the Madrid discussions aim to strengthen international cooperation, galvanize political leadership, and generate evidence on effective people-centered approaches to delivering justice for all.
On November 11, the High-Level Meeting of the Justice Action Coalition, hosted by the Ministry of Justice of Sierra Leone, will spotlight concrete action and partnerships to close the global justice gap, showcasing country commitments and opportunities for collaboration.
From November 12-14, the OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice, hosted by the OECD and Spain’s Ministry of Justice, will bring together justice leaders, policymakers, and experts to share evidence, good practices, and innovative approaches to building more inclusive, effective, and resilient justice systems, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
Workstream Updates
Workstream 1: Data and Evidence
The OECD continues to advance people-centered justice measurement aligned with the OECD Recommendation, the Justice for All report, and the Hague Declaration. Progress was showcased at the World Justice Forum in Warsaw, followed by the circulation of the 2025 OECD questionnaire on people-centred justice to the Coalition and OECD member countries. Early responses reflect growing alignment around outcome-based measurement and stronger demand for data that captures lived experiences of justice.
Collaborations with HiiL and the World Justice Project are advancing work on outcome indicators, while economic value case studies for Canada and Colombia are nearing completion, with ongoing research in Indonesia and planned follow-up in South Africa. Findings will feed into the State of People-Centered Justice Report (2026). Some preliminary findings will be presented at the OECD Global Roundtable in Madrid this November.
Workstream 2: Strategy, Programming, and Innovation
Under UNDP’s leadership, Workstream 2 has moved from planning to active implementation. Catalytic Fund projects are now operational in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe, Kenya, and Samoa, expanding legal aid, mobile justice, mediation, and digital case management services to ensure justice services are accessible and adapted to the people who need them most.
Following a competitive process, new funding has been extended to Ethiopia, Malawi, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, with implementation having begun in September. UNDP also launched its Programming Guidance on People-Centered Justice and Security in October, and plans to release an independent Global Compendium of Lessons Learned soon. Peer learning exchanges, both in-person and online, are ongoing between the partners of the Catalytic Fund projects. They focus on cost-effective technologies, digitalization, and innovative legal aid delivery models, ensuring partners learn from and inspire one another and, eventually, fostering the sustainability and replicability of the Justice Action Coalition pilots.
Workstream 3: Communication, Narrative, and SDG Linkages
Workstream 3 has continued to strengthen the Coalition’s narrative on people-centered justice, broadened its communications footprint, and provided expert guidance to Justice Action Coalition members seeking to strengthen links between access to justice and the larger Sustainable Development Agenda. On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Workstream 3 held an expert discussion, in partnership with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Costa Rica, on how to make the case for people-centered justice outside of the justice sector. A report published after the event highlights seven key lessons for justice actors on communications strategies. The following month, HiiL, Pathfinders, UNDP, and the OECD built upon this discussion and held an interactive narrative workshop on the sidelines of the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit, featuring national experiences from Sierra Leone and the Dominican Republic.
Additionally, Workstream 3 developed new digital assets to promote the Actions We Must Take to Achieve People-Centered Justice key messages, including three videos in its “Actions to Achieve People-Centered Justice” series that highlight calls to action around financing, data and evidence, and links between justice and broader development objectives. Finally, to support JAC member communication and messaging strategies around key global events, Workstream 3 produced two new communications toolkits. One focused on the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly and 6th Committee Meetings on the Rule of Law and included guidance for countries navigating negotiations and statements in the UN forum. The second focused on the Second World Summit for Social Development.
Workstream 4: Justice Financing
The JFF continues to generate strong interest among partners and governments. Following successful presentations at the World Justice Forum and FfD4, the framework is now undergoing final edits and design ahead of its official launch at the November High-Level Meeting in Madrid.
Developed through extensive consultation, the JFF serves as a “living document” that bridges advocacy and implementation, offering practical tools for integrating justice financing into national planning and budgeting. Future plans include piloting the framework in select countries in coordination with Workstream 2.
Upcoming Strategic Engagements
The Coalition’s next High-Level Meeting, hosted by Sierra Leone, will take place on November 11, 2025, in Madrid, Spain, in a hybrid format, alongside the OECD Global Roundtable. The meeting will serve as a pivotal moment to consolidate achievements, deepen political commitments, and mobilize resources for the next phase of the work of the Coalition.
Unlike traditional conferences, the Madrid meeting will emphasize interactive dialogue, shared commitments, and collective reflection on how to sustain people-centered justice as a core pillar of inclusive development.
Looking ahead, the Coalition is also preparing for active engagement in the World Social Summit and future UN processes, ensuring that people-centered justice remains firmly embedded in global policy debates on governance, inclusion, and sustainable development.
Reports, Policy Briefs, and Other News
- HiiL conducted a comprehensive three-year longitudinal study (2023-2025) tracking justice experiences in Tunisia, finding that more than half of Tunisians faced legal problems, most of which remained unresolved, and that people primarily relied on family and friends rather than formal justice systems.
- HiiL released a comprehensive three-year longitudinal study tracking 4,046 Nigerians from 2022-2025, finding that 90% experienced at least one legal problem over four years, with most problems remaining unresolved due to barriers like high costs and complexity, leading people to increasingly favor direct negotiation and community leaders over formal justice systems.
- IDLO published its annual report for 2024, capturing its work supporting justice seekers in fragile settings, strengthening institutions, promoting legal reforms, and advancing women’s rights while bridging formal and customary justice systems, marking the conclusion of its 2021-2024 strategic cycle.
- UN Women, UNDP, the World Bank, Pathfinders, and IDLO released a report examining public financing for preventing and responding to violence against women globally, finding that most countries spend less than one percent of their budget on this issue despite having relevant laws in place.
- A global coalition of justice advocates issued the Warsaw Principles at the 2025 World Justice Forum, organized by the WJP, as a unified call to action and framework for reversing the worldwide decline in rule of law, which has deteriorated in 77% of countries over the past decade.
- The Ibero-American Alliance for Access to Justice produced a comprehensive report on access to justice for children and adolescents in Ibero-America, proposing a roadmap towards child-centered justice systems as part of the 2030 Agenda commitment to leave no one behind.
- ODI released a working paper titled More money for justice and more justice for the money: lessons from the health sector. This paper explores how justice can be delivered more effectively, drawing on lessons from the health sector’s success in scaling up services, prioritising front-line care, and focusing on outcomes to transform lives.
- ODI released a policy brief: State of justice financing 2025 annual review: domestic financing and aid. This policy brief presents the latest global data on justice finance. It covers the level of finance flowing to the justice sector from domestic resources and also from aid.
- ODI released another policy brief: Front line justice services with the potential to scale up. This policy brief presents new findings on the affordability and scalability of front-line justice services in low- and middle-income countries.
- The OECD released the report, Governing with Artificial Intelligence: The State of Play and Way Forward in Core Government Functions. It describes current trends and AI use cases for the public sector as a whole and for the justice sector in particular.
- The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) published a report summarizing findings from community dialogues held in Syria in April 2025, exploring Syrians’ experiences and priorities for justice, peace, and accountability, and offering recommendations for how transitional justice processes can be inclusive, grounded in local needs, and sustainable.
- Adrian Di Giovanni and Luciana Bercovich co-authored the book Legal Empowerment in Informal Settlements: Grassroots Experiences in the Global South.
- Pathfinders released a publication on AI for Justice and Justice for AI. It explores how access to justice enables better AI Governance.
- Pathfinders released an overview of the key takeaways from the panel discussion, “Communicating Across Disciplines: How to Make Justice Matter to All,” held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York and online on September 12, 2025. A full video recording of the event is also available here.
- The Young Justice Leaders released another episode of their podcast, Conversations with Young Justice Leaders, in which Anoushka Sinha interviews Tonni Ann Brodber, Head of Secretariat at the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
- The Young Justice Leaders shared their reflections on the World Justice Forum by way of a blog, Young Voices with Bold Visions Reflect on the World Justice Forum 2025.
- The African Alliance for People-Centered Justice released a report on The Principles and Opportunities for People-Centered Justice in Africa.
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