Project profile — Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean

• Suriname (1.68%)
• Guyana (13.85%)
• Montserrat (5.61%)
• Trinidad And Tobago (2.84%)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (3.09%)
• Grenada (3.03%)
• Antigua and Barbuda (3.16%)
• Belize (8.31%)
• Saint Lucia (3.03%)
• Barbados (8.25%)
• Jamaica (3.61%)
• Dominica (3.03%)
• Saint Vincent And The Grenadines (4.95%)

• West Indies, regional (35.56%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Legal and judicial development (15130) (100.00%)

• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (principal objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)

This project aims to ensure that women, men, youth, and businesses have better access to justice in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. Justice reforms are needed to create and maintain a stable and more predictable environment to address the escalation of violent crime and disputes between citizens, promote business development, attract foreign investment, and meet and respect international obligations. Activities include: (1) draft and present gender equitable and environment sensitive model to the CARICOM member states; (2) design, promote and deliver courses on legislation and treaty drafting for the undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes; (3) conduct a survey of legal education including accreditation requirements; (4) deliver training modules to representatives of organisations; and (5) deliver regional workshops and public education to share knowledge about alternative dispute resolution (ADR), restorative justice (RJ) and community-based peace-building initiatives. Stronger legal frameworks facilitate social and economic reforms and promote business development in the region for men, women, youth and business.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthening gender and environment sensitive legislation and the making of treaty policy at the national and regional levels; (2) improved legal services, including legal education and information for women, men, youth and businesses at the national and regional levels; (3) strengthened alternative dispute resolution, restorative justice and community-based peace building practices for women, men, youth and businesses in the CARICOM region.

Results achieved as of March 2022 include: (1) established a Law Revision Commission in Guyana; (2) reviewed domestic violence legislation in Guyana to strengthen gender-sensitive legislation; (3) reviewed five bills and pieces of legislation to ensure the integration of gender and environmental considerations; (4) trained individuals in various areas relating to policy and law to improve legal services and education; and (5) held virtual panels and workshops to spread awareness about domestic violence against women and girls, improve legal education, and strengthen gender-sensitive legislation.

• Proactive disclosure