Crime prevention and criminal justice

The Challenge

Organized crime groups and criminals in West and Central Africa generate billions in revenues. Judicial authorities play a crucial role in ensuring these criminals are brought to justice. Many countries in the region however suffer from a lack of mechanisms for criminal justice matters and are also affected by a lack of mutual legal assistance (MLA) capacity and networks, which obstructs cooperation and coordination efforts to combat transnational organized crime. Sound rule of law, building integrity, addressing impunity, and developing a professional judicial culture are all essential pre-requisites for peace and stability in the region.

Many countries in the region do not have a formal witness protection policy. Victims' identities are often not kept confidential which leads to reluctant cooperation of witnesses and victims in investigations due to fear of retaliation. The absence of witness and victim protection inhibits the delivery of justice in West and Central Africa.

There is also a lack of awareness of the availability of legal aid services at little or no cost that represents a significant obstacle poor and vulnerable groups face. There is limited availability for specialized and targeted legal aid services for women. Countries in West Africa have made a significant progress in enhancing access to justice, and particularly access to legal aid, but at the same time face a variety of challenges in ensuring that systems are sustainable and effective.

There have been urgent and emerging security threats in the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea related to violent extremism and transnational organized crime. In response to this, the Justice Section has and continues to enhance the capacity of the criminal justice systems to identify and respond to the threat of terrorism, reduce risks of radicalization including the promotion of social reintegration of violent extremist prisoners and the protection of children exploited by terrorist and violent extremist groups.

Key reform priorities in West and Central Africa include capacity-building for criminal justice officers to enable them to better investigate and prosecute crimes, including serious crimes (money laundering, trafficking in person, drug related offences); targeted capacity building in the areas of international cooperation in criminal justice matters and improving the prison system, by bringing it up to international standards and improving detention conditions of prisoners.

UNODC's Justice Section improves and strengthens criminal justice systems in West and Central Africa by contributing in the following ways to an environment that promotes and advances justice.

get connected

Legislative Reform
To assist States in adapting their national legislation to the provisions contained in the UN Guidelines and in other relevant international instruments to effectively investigate and prosecute serious crime.

Improving Access to Legal Aid
Legal aid is an essential element of a fair, humane and efficient criminal justice system and provides equal access to justice for all without discrimination. COVID-19 has aggravated the lack of specialized and genderresponsive legal aid services, with severe impacts on survivors of gender-based violence and women in conflict with the law.

Victim and Witness Protection
The ability of public authorities and the judicial system to investigate and prosecute transnational crimes is greatly dependent upon the obtention of critical information and evidence from witnesses participating in the judicial process. Therefore, protecting witnesses and victims from harm, intimidation and re-victimization is indispensable to enhancing and protecting the necessary role of crime victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system.

Prison Reform
Enhance the capacity of national authorities to reform and operate prison systems in compliance with human rights principles and UN standards criminal justice reform as well as capacity to detect and investigate serious crimes in support to the criminal justice chain. The Justice Section has strengthened the capacity of the State’s Prison Administration to better understand and respond to violent extremism, risks of radicalization, as well as strengthening prison intelligence techniques.

International Cooperation
International cooperation among judicial, prosecutorial, and law enforcement authorities is increasingly essential. International Cooperation enhances cross-border cooperation and information exchange mechanisms which in turn strengthens regional criminal justice systems through the establishment of international standards and norms and the enhancement of police capacities for crime prevention. The West African Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors (WACAP) establishes regional cooperation mechanisms and strengthens legal and policy frameworks for Mutual Legal Assistance and asset recovery.

United Nations

UNODC West and Central Africa

get connected

WHAT WE DO

RELEVANT CONTACTS

Goals we are supporting through this initiative

INVESTMENT AREAS