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UNDP Publishes 2024 Report on Justice, Security and Human Rights

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released its 2024 Annual Report for the Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development. The report details UNDP's work across more than 100 countries and territories, showcasing how it is addressing pressing global challenges such as inequality, democratic backsliding, and conflict. It underscores the organization's commitment to advancing the rule of law and human rights as essential tools for rebuilding trust, fostering resilience, and ensuring that development reaches everyone.

The report outlines UNDP's integrated efforts in conflict-affected, crisis, and fragile contexts, from Africa and the Arab States to Asia-Pacific, Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America. It emphasizes a people-centered approach to justice and security, redefining these concepts through the experiences and needs of individuals, alongside support for formal institutions.

Key thematic areas covered include community security, transitional justice, business and human rights, and digital justice. Through partnerships and innovation, UNDP's Global Programme has supported access to justice for over 58.7 million people as of 2024. Among the initiatives featured in the report is the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), a long-standing initiative focused on small arms control in South-East and Eastern Europe.

According to the 2024 Annual Report, SEESAC achieved significant progress in enhancing regional stability by combating the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and supporting authorities in building accountable and inclusive security institutions.
In 2024, a key milestone was the successful facilitation of the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap. This regional framework, designed to align security standards with those of the European Union, resulted in the adoption of a new Roadmap for 2025–2030. The initiative was recognized at the Berlin Process Summit and the EU–Western Balkans Summit for its contribution to regional cooperation and stability.

As the Secretariat for the Roadmap's Multi-Partner Trust Fund, SEESAC coordinated activities and saw the fund's value grow to $29 million with new contributions in 2024.

Highlights of SEESAC's work in 2024 also include:

  • Enhanced Law Enforcement Capacity: Delivery of €5.5 million in equipment and development of 24 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to strengthen investigations and anti-trafficking efforts.
  • Improved Stockpile Management: Destruction of 2,271 weapons and upgrades to one storage location and 12 evidence rooms across the region.
  • Strengthened Regional Cooperation: Biannual meetings of SALW commissions and the South-East Europe Firearms Experts Network (SEEFEN), as well as interregional knowledge sharing through study visits for delegations from the Kyrgyz Republic and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
  • Gender Perspectives in Arms Control: Publication of guidelines to help prevent firearm misuse in domestic violence cases and to support gender-responsive firearms licensing, as well as continued support to Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces in advancing gender equality in line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

SEESAC’s achievements, as outlined in the 2024 Annual Report, demonstrate how targeted regional actions form part of UNDP’s global approach to strengthening institutions, protecting rights, and addressing security challenges.

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