For the period 2017-2018, the United Nations Mission for the Support of Justice in Haiti (Minujusth), will develop and implement 53 projects to fight against violence in the community, to promote the participation of entities and local communities to promote the rule of law, the action of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and the promotion of respect for human rights, in the following three areas :

1) Security and stability, including through short-term income-generating activities for women and youth at risk;

2) Policy and the rule of law: support the Legal Assistance Offices (BAL) in Port-au-Prince, promote the reintegration of detainees, and strengthen support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence;

3) Strengthening respect for human rights in collaboration with local entities for the monitoring, promotion and protection of human rights.

These community violence reduction projects will also aim to sensitize communities on specific issues (eg, justice and the rule of law, major government reform initiatives, sexual and gender-based violence) and to encourage them to dialogue through awareness-raising campaigns, notably in the context of debates and workshops held in several jurisdictions in Haiti.

The Minujusth team will strive to respect four principles in the implementation of these projects, so that they meet the needs of local communities, namely :

• Projects contributing to reduce violence in communities through initiatives that help to improve security and stabilize the situation by ensuring the participation of women and youth at risk, as well as other vulnerable groups ;

• Community actors and leaders are involved in project design and implementation, while engaging in dialogue with vulnerable communities ;

• Most of the projects involve a local partner in their implementation, such as community associations or grassroots NGOs ;

• Government agencies and UN agencies, funds and programs are closely involved in project development and implementation, as part of the overall strategy for a gradual transfer of responsibilities to the Government of Haiti and development actors.

HL/ HaitiLibre