Europe and Eurasia
E-Governance Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina
USAID awarded Millennium Partners the E-Governance Activity in February 2020. This is a $10.3 million, five-year contract to increase the transparency of government processes and decrease the risks of corruption using state-of-the-art information technology (IT) solutions, effective oversight bodies and external checks, such as citizen watchdog groups.
Access to Justice in Moldova
The Access to Justice Project (ATJ) is a two-year Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) project that aims to improve access to justice for Moldovans, especially the most vulnerable members of society who are marginalized and excluded. The program is implementing activities that will improve knowledge of the law and the available protections for fundamental freedoms; and ensure that legal aid centers are established, strengthened, and better equipped to provide legal aid to persons whose rights have been violated, including victims of discrimination and violence.
The Project targets those areas of Moldova where the public’s awareness of their rights is lowest and the capacity to provide legal aid is weakest. The project seeks opportunities for promoting legislative changes and policy reforms to promote legal aid and strengthen legal aid providers.
Justice Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (JA)
The JA has been developing the capacity of Bosnian prosecutors to investigate and prosecute corruption while strengthening the integrity and performance of the judiciary. Millennium’ works closely with all BiH MOJs, 19 prosecutor offices, the HJPC, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and regional anti-corruption organizations. With an all-Bosnian team and mostly local and regional short-term experts, we were able to advance local solutions that resonated with the public and government stakeholders and built sustainability. USAID recently gave Millennium an “exceptional” CPAR quality rating while noting these significant achievements were made in an environment “bereft of political will.”
Kosovo Justice Sector Strengthening Program (JSSP)
This program is advancing the independence, professionalism, efficiency, and accountability of the Kosovo Judicial Council and the courts and supporting the integration of judicial structures in the north of Kosovo. JSSP assistance has improved the judiciary’s self-governance, enhanced court transparency, and significantly reduced case backlog while promoting greater representation of women in the judiciary. JSSP works with the MOJ and Parliamentary committees to strengthen the legal framework to support and institutionalize reforms and thus ensure their sustainability. JSSP has built the public’s trust in the rule of law and democracy though effective outreach and improved legal services. JSSP received a “very good” for its CPAR quality rating.
Moldova Open Justice Project
This three-year project is developing an advanced ICMS that will connect judicial and other government entities, enhance judicial efficiencies and transparency, and produce sophisticated performance measurements and reports that promote system-wide accountability and public access. Through training and technical assistance, Millennium and its team is strengthening judicial knowledge, performance, and integrity. Millennium is helping court leaders incorporate international standards using the International Framework for Court Excellence and EU European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice standards and assisting the MOJ to operationalize the Judicial Ethics Commission and improve legal frameworks. Understanding the political dynamics in Moldova has enabled us to adapt and work more effectively with government stakeholders to garner support and achieve rapid results. To strengthen vertical checks on the government, we promote public engagement in a strategy involving social media, court information desks, TV, radio, public outreach events, and two public opinion surveys. For its work on this complex ICMS system and other accountability tools in an increasingly volatile political climate, Open Justice received a CPAR rating of “exceptional.”
Civil Society Initiatives to Support the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka (CSI.ROL)
Under the 3.5-year, $3.9 million CSI.ROL project, Millennium developed the capacity of key CSOs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to engage in evidence-based advocacy, enhance access to justice, and raise awareness of rights. Millennium worked with both civil society and the MOJ to lay the foundation for comprehensive reforms in the judiciary and build capacity by training judicial personnel, lawyers, judges, and legal aid providers. Of relevance to the Jordan ERA was our ability to provide rapid, flexible support to a newly elected government anxious to demonstrate its commitment to reform. Being prepared for a potential political realignment enabled us to respond quickly with a reform strategy and leverage an empowered reform constituency to gain government buy-in. For our work Millennium received a “very good” CPAR quality rating.