UNDP has been working with the Ministry of Justice including prisons since 1999 and at present it is supporting the project “Supporting Citizen’s to Access Justice”, a pilot project of considerable importance for the Government, but also for the donors of the justice sector. The project has two fundamental objectives, respectively, a) to maximize the effect of support actions relatively to the poorest sectors of the population and vulnerable groups and b) avoid the duplication of efforts in the activity by the donor community.

The combination of the above mentioned two objectives is aimed at dedicating a special attention in the penal justice sector and decentralization of justice, which on the one hand affect considerably the poor and vulnerable people and on the other hand provide space for a good coordination and cooperation between the interested donor community. This is a project made up of six components, namely, Justice Administration at local level, Correctional System, Combat of crime, Human Rights, Women Rights and HIV/AIDS Legal Questions.

In the opening ceremony, UNDP was represented by Ms. Naomi Kitahara, Deputy Resident Representative Programme, who said in her intervention that UNDP considers the State of Law and Human Rights essential conditions for the development of Mozambique in its efforts to reduce poverty, noting that the results on the real impact that the project will have in the citizen’s access to justice is awaited with great expectation. Ms. Kitahara added that she was aware that the planned objectives would be achieved in the expectation that these activities would be extended to other provinces.

Regarding the Seminar which launched the Results of the Survey on the Perception of Human Rights, Ms. Kitahara said that she hoped the results would meet the sector’s expectations, and the publication would contribute to the dissemination of the Human Rights situation and support the drafting of a Plan of Action to improve the Human Rights status in Mozambique.