Bringing justice closer to people
Over the next five years, HiiL and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work with partners in Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Syria and Lebanon to address a persistent problem: too many people and businesses cannot resolve everyday justice problems because legal processes are too expensive, slow, complex or difficult to access. As part of the partnership, HiiL will bring together governments, courts, community justice providers, civil society organisations and the people who use these services to improve how justice is delivered. By combining local knowledge with practical innovations, the programmes will help create justice services that respond to people’s real needs, strengthen connections between formal and community-based justice systems, and support the policies and funding needed to make these improvements last. The goal is for more people and businesses to resolve their most important justice problems fairly, affordably and quickly. When disputes are resolved before they escalate, communities become stronger, trust in institutions grows, and societies become more peaceful, stable and prosperous.
Building on a decade of partnership
Over the last decade, HiiL, together with Dutch embassies and the Ministry, has worked with governments, justice providers, civil society organisations and communities around the world to expand access to affordable, accessible and people-centred justice, contributing to the global ambition of Sustainable Development Goal 16.3: equal access to justice for all. An independent review of our 2021-2026 partnership found that the programme has laid a strong foundation for sustained and scalable people-centred justice reforms. It confirmed that this evidence-based approach has helped influence policy, strengthen justice services and create the conditions for lasting systemic change. The review also highlighted an important next step: ensuring that successful approaches do not remain small-scale pilots, but become lasting services that reach many more people. The new partnership is designed to help local partners, governments and justice providers sustain, fund and expand proven solutions, while adapting them as people’s needs and circumstances change.
“Through this partnership with the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs, HiiL is doubling down on a simple ambition: to make justice work for people.” said Udo Jude Ilo, CEO at HiiL. “By putting people’s needs and experiences at the centre of our programmes, we will continue to turn evidence into practical and flexibl solutions, making justice more accessible, effective and trusted.”
Sharing knowledge and scaling what works
The partnership will include a comprehensive global research, knowledge and advocacy programme designed to capture, synthesise and share lessons from HiiL’s practical experience implementing people-centred justice. Drawing on learning from Dutch-supported country programmes as well as initiatives funded by other partners, the programme will identify what works, what does not, and under which conditions. These insights will be translated into research publications, policy recommendations, practical tools, webinars, conferences and knowledge exchanges that reach far beyond the programme’s eight focus countries.
The objective is to ensure that evidence generated through implementation contributes to stronger access to justice globally.
HiiL will also connect learning across countries, enabling practitioners, policymakers and researchers to exchange experiences and adapt successful approaches to different contexts. Lessons from HiiL’s country programmes have already informed international initiatives, including the OECD Recommendation on Access to Justice and People-Centred Justice Systems, the Justice Action Coalition, and global efforts to improve the measurement of justice outcomes. As a part of the partnership, HiiL will continue contributing to these international conversations while ensuring that global advocacy remains firmly grounded in practical experience from the field. This integrated approach reflects HiiL’s conviction that lasting justice reform depends not only on effective local implementation, but also on sharing evidence, strengthening international cooperation and continuously learning from practice.
Continuing the journey together
HiiL would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch embassies in Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Syria and Lebanon for their continued trust, collaboration and support. This long-standing partnership has been instrumental in advancing people-centred justice around the world, and HiiL is proud to continue this shared journey. As the fourth strategic partnership begins, HiiL looks forward to working with governments, justice innovators, civil society organisations, communities and international partners to build justice systems that are more accessible, responsive and effective, contributing to safer, stronger and more resilient societies for all.
