LocationsPeshawar High Court, UNDP Pakistan, and European Union inaugurate the first of its kind Provincial Justice Committee Secretariat to strengthen Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s justice sector
December 21, 2022
Peshawar, 20 December 2022: Peshawar High Court (PHC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the European Union (EU), inaugurated the first of its kind Provincial Justice Committee (PJC) Secretariat at the PHC. The Secretariat was built by UNDP in partnership with PHC, and financial support from the EU under the ‘Deliver Justice Project’.
The inauguration came as a major step towards empowering the justice sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the PJC is a provincial body that works with the criminal justice sector to ensure effective administration and resolve law, justice, and security challenges at the district and provincial levels. The development will play an instrumental role in ensuring fairer, and more inclusive delivery of justice for all in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Located at the main PHC building, the Secretariat is equipped with a state-of-the-art conference room, control room and a dedicated office to allow PJC to function more efficiently and achieve its institutional objectives.
The inaugural ceremony was a hybrid event with both virtual and in-person attendance. Representatives from PHC, District Judiciary, KP Judicial Academy, Home and Tribal Affairs Department, Police, Prosecution, KP Bar Council, LJCP, Reclamation and Probation, Anti-Corruption, Law Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Advocate General Office, Prisons and UN Agencies attended the ceremony.
Chief guest of the inaugural ceremony, Honourable Chief Justice, PHC, Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan, applauded the joint efforts of UNDP and the EU. Marking the inauguration of the Secretariat as a major milestone for the province, he said, “Strong coordination amongst the justice sector institutions is integral to building an equitable criminal justice system. We believe that the newly inaugurated Secretariat will further support PJC in accomplishing greater justice and peace in the province.”
Joining the ceremony virtually, Sven Ruesch, Acting Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan, took this opportunity to congratulate the PHC and UNDP. “The EU is happy to join forces with Pakistan to actively advance the delivery of justice, peace, and security for the people, particularly women and girls. This work is also an essential part of the priorities of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan agreed in 2019.”
Ms Chamila Hemmathagama, UNDP Rule of Law Programme Manager highlighted, “The establishment of the first of its kind PJC Secretariat in KP is a reflection of UNDP’s undying commitment to uplifting the security and justice sector governance and to better serve the citizens in the province. We are thankful to PHC and the EU for their support and look forward to more opportunities to promote rule of law in the province.”
The UNDP Rule of Law Programme is implementinga range of interventions to strengthen security and justice sector governance in Pakistan.
The ‘Deliver Justice’ project aims to support reform processes to ensure delivery of people-centered justice, enhance access to justice for all, particularly women and less privileged groups; and improve service delivery of the security sector in line with constitutional safeguards and international standards. Implemented in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Merged Districts, the programme is funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
For additional information, please contact Ayesha Babar at ayesha.babar@undp.org or +92 (51) 835 5650
### ### ###
About UNDP:
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.
Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP
