Under the new country programme, the previously distinct Governance and Rule of Law programmes have been merged as part of an ongoing process to build links and synergies between these two programmes. Project areas currently include local governance, institution building, access to justice, police and community safety.

Rule of Law and Security

UNDP's Rule of Law and Security Programme works towards improved security and protection under the law for all Somalis. As such, it seeks to advance human development by strengthening national and local capacities to prevent, mitigate and cope with the impact of violence.

Despite the resilience of local communities and businesses, the absence or weakness of the state is at the root of Somalia's endemic conflict. Government is needed to exert enough authority for security to be maintained. Government must ultimately reconcile clan-based, political, business, and civil society forces to unite Somalis towards building peace. The collapse of those structures designed to administer justice, including law enforcement and the protection of human rights, continues to hamper progress towards the establishment of formal mechanisms for the rule of law. Given this situation, a range of non-state customary or religion-based (sharia) mechanisms are in place to deliver judicial and legal services to rural, nomadic and poor populations.

The three ROLS projects provide a development approach to rule of law and security, addressing simultaneously the institutional (top down) and community (bottom up) aspects of rule of law and security:

• Access to justice — The project is not only seeking to train and build the capacity of the legal profession, it also works on providing access to justice for most vulnerable communities, especially those living in areas with no functioning state institutions.

• Civillian Police — UNDP considers police work to be a service to the community.

• Community security — (DDR/AVR) —Community security recognizes the role of communities in ensuring their wellbeing and reducing armed violence at the local level, in partnership with local authorities.

Governance

The Governance Programme promotes national and local institutions and serves to steward Somalia's establishment of good governance and public accountability in an environment where government functions are emerging or non-existent. UNDP's objective is to address the three identified pillars of Somali needs:

• Establish good governance through initiatives at the national, regional, and local levels, including drafting of the Constitution;
• Enhance the capacity of  local governments: regional, local and district councils;
• Enhance the capacity of national institutions that support the ‘machinery of government' and decision making institution; and
• Enhance the capacity of the local civil society and media that support peace and state building.

Toward achieving this agenda, UNDP partners with several UN and non-UN agencies and supports Somali-led initiatives through various joint programmes or bilateral arrangements.

The Governance Programme has currently three projects:

• Local Governance - UNDP, together with four other UN agencies, works to place communities at the core of local development, to ensure that the services provided are relevant to a given community and that the local councils are accountable to the people and transparent.

• Somali Institutional Development Project - SIDP seeks to implement institutional development and capacity building first by targeting the ‘machinery of government' (parliament and central agencies), followed by professional institutions responsible for public administration.

• Constituion-making Support Project - UNDP and Somali partners designed the Somali Institution Development Project for south central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland.