Migiro welcomes move to harmonize UN’s work on the rule of law

The United Nations has greatly expanded its work on the rule of law, from strengthening police services to supporting constitutional processes, but the expansion is still not sufficient to meet the needs of Member States, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

Opening a panel discussion with a group of UN experts in New York, Ms. Migiro said the world body now has more than a dozen departments and agencies developing rule of law activities, and the growth has necessitated a far greater system-wide coherence to coordinate the diverse activities.

She stressed that the UN’s primary role was to support national efforts to strengthen the rule of law and to secure sustainable justice at the country level.

Ms. Migiro called for a comprehensive effort to empower national stakeholders, adding that genuine national ownership was critical to an effective, lasting rule of law regime.

“All of us at the United Nations recognize the importance of its rule of law work, and we are committed to delivering more effectively in this area,” she said.