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For development, we need security. For security, we need rule of law.

June 17^th, 2025

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Safety and security shape our daily lives, influencing everything from our daily routine to our sense of well-being. When we know we are safe, we can focus on our goals and aspirations as human beings. We can connect with others and move freely without fear. Safety is about physical integrity but it’s also about freedom, relationships and opportunities. It is a precondition for progress. When people feel protected, they are more likely to engage in education, invest in businesses, contribute to their communities and trust institutions. This is why building secure environments is essential for peace and development, for individuals and societies to flourish.

But how do we build safe and secure environments? One of the key strategies is to enhance rights protection, deliver justice and strengthen the rule of law.

The link between the rule of law and public safety is unequivocal. A strong, efficient and people-centred police force plays a vital role in ensuring community security. Through its Global Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights, UNDP supports police and broader security sector reforms, particularly in contexts of crisis and fragility. In Fiji, The Gambia, Iraq, Lebanon, South Sudan and beyond, UNDP promotes community policing restoring trust between communities and law enforcement.

Open days at the Model Police Stations in Iraq help to align police work with community needs. Photo: UNDP Iraq

Fijian police officers undergo community training. Photo: UNDP Fiji

Community policing in Wau, South Sudan. Photo: UNDP South Sudan

In Somalia, security planning has been shaped by community needs, as security officials consulted with over 4,000 people across four Federal Member States, listening to their concerns and vision. In Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, where social order is compromised, UNDP brought together police and communities to develop five evidence-based and people-centred community safety plans. In Mali, local security initiatives helped reduce crime and rebuild trust between citizens and security forces.

“Before, in our town – especially around the stadium – there were attacks almost every day. But now people in our area – men, women and youth – have really stepped up. Everyone’s more alert and ready to report anything suspicious."

-Resident of Koutiala town in southern Mali

Justice and accountability, particularly in response to gross human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, are essential as foundations for sustainable peacebuilding and prevention. Impunity perpetuates cycles of violence and criminality, undermining social stability. A strong, independent and effective criminal justice system is imperative to breaking this cycle, ensuring redress for victims, and to deter future atrocities.

In Somalia, through the Joint Police Programme, UNDP, UN Women and UNTMIS are working to build strong community-police ties. Photo: UNDP Somalia

Community consultations to design safety plans in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: UNDP Bangladesh

In Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, over 1,000 people received access to justice through mobile courts.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), the Special Criminal Court (SCC) advances transitional justice, healing communities and responding to demands for accountability. In 2024, the victims of a massacre, including sexual violence survivors, were granted financial reparations, marking a historic milestone in the fight against impunity. In CAR, UNDP supports the SCC with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.

In a landmark decision in Guinea, senior officials – among them the former president – were convicted of crimes against humanity, including sexual violence. Each survivor was granted financial reparation. Setting a significant legal precedent, a national court reclassified these offences as international crimes, drawing on the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court that defines and governs the prosecution of the most serious crimes under international law. This was made possible through collaboration with the Team of Experts on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, underscoring the critical importance of accountability, survivor-centred justice, and the strategic role of domestic courts in addressing it.

Judges at the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic. Photo: UNDP CAR

A mobile court hearing in Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: UNDP DRC

The unchecked spread of small arms and light weapons remains one of the most persistent and deadly threats to security. Handguns are cheap, easy to use and widely available. They account for 45 percent of all violent deaths globally. The UN’s Saving Lives Entity, a joint project by UNDP and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs offers a concrete path to small arms control and armed violence reduction. It has proven effective in eight countries. In the Kyrgyz Republic a digitized weapons registry was developed to track civilian firearms. And in Jamaica and Honduras, young people, many of whom used to carry firearms even in schools, learned to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. Sports turned out to be a great alternative.

“2024 concluded with zero violence incidents.”

-Claudia Elvir, director of the Vicente Cáceres Central Institute in Honduras

Development interventions in prisons strategically foster rehabilitation by improving conditions, building skills, and enabling reintegration to reduce recidivism and promote long-term social stability. In Libya, Mozambique, Timor Leste and Yemen, UNDP implements reintegration programmes helping inmates learn practical skills to build a path toward a lawful life after release. In the prison system of Mozambique, UNDP addresses the growing concern of violent extremism, offering practical guidance for prison staff and inmates to reduce the risk of radicalization.

For development, we need security. For security, we need rule of law.

Security is not only about protection from violence. It also means knowing your home and livelihood can withstand the shocks of climate change and be protected from environmental harms. To strengthen community adaptation and resilience in Bolivia, where the plans for lithium extraction are on the way, UNDP designed an artificial intelligence (AI) system to assess how the extraction will impact water, sanitation and local industries.

In today’s interconnected world, innovative tools, including AI, can improve security, especially if designed under the principles of human rights, inclusivity and leaving no one behind. In Moldova the Social Tensions Monitoring Mechanism was piloted to detect and address emerging tensions, especially in refugee-hosting communities. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, four digital tools were introduced to modernize the criminal justice chain, tracking inmates, managing criminal records and improving judicial efficiency. These innovations enhance transparency and accountability, reinforcing the rule of law.

From community policing to climate resilience, from arms control to digital justice, the path to peace and development is multifaceted, but it is linked to security. Through partnerships, innovation and a steadfast commitment to human rights and justice, UNDP contributes to creating a world where security is not a privilege for the few, but a foundation for all.

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For development, we need security. For security, we need rule of law.

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