02 December 2021

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MOLJPA) and United Nations Development Programme in Nepal (UNDP) signed the “Enhancing Access to Justice through Institutional Reform Project II (A2J II)” for the period from 2021 till 2026 on 2 December. This is a second phase of the ongoing project on Access to Justice. The Project aims to enhance access to justice of women and marginalized communities in Nepal through institutional support to the Government of Nepal for the effective implementation of integrated legal aid policies.

Mr. Phanindra Gautam, Joint Secretary of the MOLJPA and Resident Representative of UNDP Nepal, Ms. Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé signed the project document in the presence of the Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Udaya Raj Sapkota and the Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal, H. E. Ms. Torun Dramdal.

Likewise, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal, H. E. Ms. Torun Dramdal, and Resident Representative of UNDP Nepal, Ms. Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé signed a Cost Sharing Agreement  amounting to approximately USD 4 million to support A2J II  until  December 2024.

Addressing the event, the Secretary of MOLJPA, Mr Udaya Raj Sapkota stated, “We are committed to ensuring inclusion in the justice system and are happy to have support from UNDP and Norway and development partners in creating a more accessible justice system for all.” He further said “The Ministry is committed to strengthen coordination among all the concerned stakeholders to avoid duplication and enhance complementarity to achieve the outcome of this project.

Highlighting the message of inclusion in the development agenda, UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé noted, “The access to justice project could help significantly for the effective implementation of constitution and international obligations set forth in the human rights convention, treaty bodies and Universal Periodic Report.”

Her Excellency Ms. Torun Dramdal expressed Norway’s commitment to making justice accessible to all, especially those from the marginalized communities and women. She stated, “A strong justice system will not only allow justice to be accessible to all, but also support Nepal accelerate towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The project will be implemented with a geographical focus on the Province No. 1, Province No. 2, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province.

About UNDP

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.