This annual report provides an overview of the interventions and key results of the Access to Justice, Security and Human Rights Strengthening Programme in South Sudan in 2020. The milestones achieved and recommendations present to development practitioners and legal specialists the impact of the programme in strengthening the rule of law, through technical and policy support to rule of law actors. Programming examples and lessons learned to improve access to justice and security and accountability for human rights violations in South Sudan are found in this report.

Employing a sector-wide approach to achieve five interrelated outputs across ten states, the programme aimed at attaining rights-based and gender-responsive institutional measures to meet citizen-centered critical justice and security needs that equally address the underlying causes of conflict. The programme empowered the most vulnerable people to demand their rights and created opportunities for them to participate in key justice, security and transitional justice mechanisms and processes. A tailored response was implemented in 10 states to address COVID-19 risks among justice actors.

UNDP closely collaborated with national partners and coordinated with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), United Nations Entity for Gender Equity and the Empowerment of Women (UNW), Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (OHCHR), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to achieve the programme’s objectives and expected results under the Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law arrangement.