Partners
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with participants of the conference on the rule of law in Afghanistan.
The pursuit of strong and durable partnerships with all national and international stakeholders to promote shared objectives and coherent efforts is a critical component of the United Nations rule of law approach. UN efforts towards institutional coordination and coherence in rule of law assistance need to be coupled with similar initiatives within the broader international community. The success of UN efforts to strengthen the rule of law thus is linked to its meaningful partnerships.
At the national and international levels, the UN is one among many rule of law actors. The UN provides assistance in support of Member States, based on their requests or pursuant to Security Council mandates. Key partners in country for the UN are thus the national authorities, and other national stakeholders, such as bar associations, human rights and women’s groups. As a major partner, civil society not only creates demand for strengthening the rule of law at the national and international levels but also contributes to achieving it.
Bilateral donors and international organizations provide much of the assistance in countries. International organizations, including regional organizations, often support the development of norms and standards as well as good practices and knowledge. Non-governmental organizations also play critical roles in efforts to strengthen the rule of law in countries, at the regional level and internationally. Civil society advocates for compliance with international agreements, monitors the rule of law at the national level, and provides research, analysis and expertise on rule of law issues.