50431 Initiatives in Justice Reform 2009 Legal Vice Presidency The World Bank Initiatives in Justice Reform 2009 THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20433 Tel: (202) 477-1234 Fax: (202) 477-6391 E-mail: Legalhelpdesk@worldbank.org World Wide Web: http://www.worldbank.org/lji June 2003 The World Bank Legal Vice Presidency Abstract Initiatives in Law and Justice Institution Reform is a compendium of World Bank- financed activities in justice reform that has been published by the World Bank in six editions since 2000. This publication presents brief descriptions of the World Bank's justice reform activities throughout the world, at present and in the recent past, for both operational projects and research. This seventh volume of Initiatives in Justice Reform presents brief summaries of World Bank justice reform projects, grants and research provided by region and by country in alphabetical order. In their totality, these descriptions highlight the breadth of the Bank's work in this critical field of development. Detailed information about projects, grants, and components listed in this volume is available via the World Bank's website (www.worldbank.org). Additional information on justice reform topics, and links to World Bank projects, can be found on the Law and Justice Institutions page of the World Bank's Web site (www.worldbank.org/lji). This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Initiatives in Justice Reform 2009 Justice Reform Practice Group Legal Vice Presidency The World Bank Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ VIII INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Rationale for World Bank Justice Reform Activities............................................................................. 2 Areas of Justice Reform Assistance ...................................................................................................... 3 JUSTICE SECTOR PROJECT SUMMARIES......................................................................................... 7 AFRICA REGION ....................................................................................................................................... 7 BENIN ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Institutional Development Fund to Support the Empowerment of Women in Benin............................. 7 Judicial and Legal Reform Project ....................................................................................................... 8 Poverty Reduction Support Credit(s) .................................................................................................... 8 Reinforcement of the Anti-Corruption Unit in the Presidency.............................................................. 9 Support for the Law Against Female Genital Mutilation.................................................................... 10 BURKINA FASO ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Gender/Legal Literacy for Women Project......................................................................................... 10 BURUNDI .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Capacity Building to Sustain Gender-Responsive Legal Reform Initiatives ....................................... 11 Economic Management Support Project (EMSP)............................................................................... 11 CAPE VERDE ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Access to Legal Services for Vulnerable Groups including Women ................................................... 12 Poverty Reduction Support Credit(s) .................................................................................................. 12 Strengthening the Rule of Law ............................................................................................................ 13 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC .................................................................................................................. 13 Economic Management and Government Reform Grant .................................................................... 13 Reengagement and Institution-Building Support Project ................................................................... 14 ETHIOPIA .................................................................................................................................................. 14 Managing and Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights: Creating a Driver of Growth....................... 14 Public Sector Capacity Building Program Support Project (PSCAP)................................................ 15 THE GAMBIA ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Capacity Building for Economic Management Project ...................................................................... 16 GHANA ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 Legal Reform and Legal Aid for the Advancement of Women ............................................................ 16 Strengthening the Adjudication Capacity of Traditional Leaders ...................................................... 17 GUINEA-BISSAU ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Private Sector Rehabilitation and Development Project .................................................................... 17 KENYA ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Capacity Building of the Legal Profession ......................................................................................... 18 Capacity Building to Support Gender-Responsive Legal Reform....................................................... 18 Financial and Legal Sector Technical Assistance Project.................................................................. 19 Judicial Performance Improvement Project ....................................................................................... 19 LIBERIA .................................................................................................................................................... 20 Capacity Building for Justice Services ............................................................................................... 20 MADAGASCAR .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Governance and Institutional Development Project ........................................................................... 20 Governance and Institutional Development Project II ....................................................................... 21 MALI ........................................................................................................................................................ 22 Institutional Development of the MPFEF and Collaborating NGOs in Promoting Legal Reform and Legal Literacy ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Legal Aid Services for the Poor .......................................................................................................... 22 - ii - MAURITANIA ............................................................................................................................................ 23 Application of the Law and the Advancement of Legal Status of Women ........................................... 23 Implementation of Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Strategy........... 23 Legal Aid Services to the Poor............................................................................................................ 24 Legal Reform and Private Sector Capacity Building.......................................................................... 24 MOZAMBIQUE .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Capacity Building: Public Sector and Legal Institutions Development Project ................................. 24 Financial Sector Technical Assistance Project................................................................................... 25 Mozambique ­ Beating the Odds: Sustaining Inclusion in a Growing Economy................................ 26 Public Sector Reform Project ............................................................................................................. 26 NIGER ....................................................................................................................................................... 27 Promoting the Advancement of the Legal Status of Women ............................................................... 27 NIGERIA ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Capacity Building for the Prevention of Corruption .......................................................................... 27 Economic Management Capacity Building Project ............................................................................ 28 Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project............................................................... 28 Legal Education Capacity Building Project ....................................................................................... 29 Legal Reform and Legal Aid for the Advancement of Women ............................................................ 29 State Government and Capacity Building Project .............................................................................. 30 RWANDA .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Institutional Strengthening Initiative for the Legal Advancement of Women ..................................... 30 SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE ......................................................................................................................... 31 Capacity Building for the Justice Sector............................................................................................. 31 SIERRA LEONE .......................................................................................................................................... 31 Developing a Model for Delivering Justice Services Project ............................................................. 31 SOUTH AFRICA ......................................................................................................................................... 32 University of Pretoria Faculty of Law ................................................................................................ 32 SUDAN ...................................................................................................................................................... 32 Capacity Building of the National Judiciary....................................................................................... 32 Southern Sudan Justice Support Project............................................................................................. 33 TANZANIA ................................................................................................................................................ 33 Accountability, Transparency and Integrity Program ........................................................................ 33 Capacity Building to Promote Gender-Responsive Legal Literacy & Legal Aid................................ 34 Financial and Legal Management Upgrading Project ....................................................................... 35 Legal Sector Building ......................................................................................................................... 35 Private Sector Competitiveness Project.............................................................................................. 36 TOGO ........................................................................................................................................................ 37 Institutional Strengthening of the Directorate for the Advancement of Women to Support Empowerment of Women in Togo ....................................................................................................... 37 UGANDA ................................................................................................................................................... 37 Anti-Corruption Capacity Building .................................................................................................... 37 Gender-Sensitive Legal Literacy for Councilors ................................................................................ 38 Second Private Sector Competitiveness Project ................................................................................. 38 REGIONAL ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................ 39 Justice for the Poor Initiative.............................................................................................................. 39 Managing the Politics of Africa's Rule of Law and Anticorruption Reforms: Looking Ahead........... 39 OHADA Institutional Capacity Building Project................................................................................ 40 EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION..................................................................................................... 41 CAMBODIA ............................................................................................................................................... 41 Rule of Law Development: Labor Law Education of Women ............................................................ 41 CHINA ...................................................................................................................................................... 42 Economic Law Reform Project ........................................................................................................... 42 Rural Land Contracting Law Project ................................................................................................. 42 - iii - INDONESIA ............................................................................................................................................... 43 Combating Corruption in Indonesia ................................................................................................... 43 Corruption and Legal Reform............................................................................................................. 43 Enhancing Demand for Legal and Judicial Reform............................................................................ 44 KOREA...................................................................................................................................................... 44 Financial and Corporate Restructuring Assistance Project ............................................................... 44 MONGOLIA ............................................................................................................................................... 45 Enhanced Justice Services Project...................................................................................................... 45 Legal and Judicial Reform Project ..................................................................................................... 46 Standardization of Public Administrative Regulations ....................................................................... 46 PHILIPPINES .............................................................................................................................................. 47 Judicial Reform Support Project......................................................................................................... 47 THAILAND ................................................................................................................................................ 48 Financial Sector Implementation Assistance Project ......................................................................... 48 Legal Aid Services for Poor and Vulnerable People Affected by the Tsunami ................................... 48 Out-of-Court Mediation Capacity Building Grant.............................................................................. 49 TIMOR-LESTE ........................................................................................................................................... 50 Institutional Development of the Ombudsman .................................................................................... 50 VIETNAM .................................................................................................................................................. 50 Managing Legal Sector Reforms Project............................................................................................ 50 REGIONAL ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................ 51 Justice for the Poor Initiative.............................................................................................................. 51 Strengthening Networking and Knowledge Sharing between "ASEAN Plus" Judicial and Legal Institutions .......................................................................................................................................... 51 EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGION............................................................................................ 52 ALBANIA .................................................................................................................................................. 52 Legal and Judicial Reform Project ..................................................................................................... 52 ARMENIA .................................................................................................................................................. 53 Institutional Capacity to Develop and Implement an Anti-Corruption Strategy................................. 53 Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 53 Second Judicial Reform Project.......................................................................................................... 54 AZERBAIJAN ............................................................................................................................................. 55 Judicial Modernization Project .......................................................................................................... 55 BELARUS .................................................................................................................................................. 55 Legal Systems Reform ......................................................................................................................... 55 BULGARIA ................................................................................................................................................ 56 Combating Corruption: Strengthening Anticorruption Capacity in the Office of the Prosecutor General ............................................................................................................................................... 56 Resourcing the Judiciary for Performance and Accountability: A Judicial Expenditure and Institutional Review ............................................................................................................................ 56 CROATIA .................................................................................................................................................. 57 Court and Bankruptcy Administration Project ................................................................................... 57 Institutional Capacity Building for Judicial Efficiency....................................................................... 58 Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 58 GEORGIA .................................................................................................................................................. 59 Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 59 KAZAKHSTAN ........................................................................................................................................... 60 Legal Reform Project.......................................................................................................................... 60 KOSOVO ................................................................................................................................................... 60 Judicial Statistics ................................................................................................................................ 60 Private Sector Development Technical Assistance ............................................................................. 60 KYRGYZ REPUBLIC................................................................................................................................... 61 Court Information and Management System Development ................................................................ 61 - iv - LATVIA ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 Implementation of Laws Governing Administrative Procedures and Information Openness Project 61 Institutions in Charge of the Fight Against Corruption ...................................................................... 62 MACEDONIA ............................................................................................................................................. 63 Legal and Judicial Implementation and Institutional Support Project ............................................... 63 MOLDOVA ................................................................................................................................................ 63 Reforming Courts................................................................................................................................ 63 ROMANIA ................................................................................................................................................. 64 Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 64 Programmatic Adjustment Loan Project ............................................................................................ 64 Strengthening Institutional Capacity Building for Legal Drafting and Regulatory Management ...... 65 RUSSIAN FEDERATION .............................................................................................................................. 65 Judicial Reform Support Project......................................................................................................... 65 Legal Reform Project.......................................................................................................................... 66 Strengthening Access to Justice for the Poor...................................................................................... 66 SERBIA ..................................................................................................................................................... 67 Justice Sector Support Project............................................................................................................ 67 Strengthening the Court Administration System ................................................................................. 67 SLOVAKIA ................................................................................................................................................ 68 Legal and Judicial Reform.................................................................................................................. 68 TURKEY .................................................................................................................................................... 68 Strengthening the Case Load Management and Court Administration System .................................. 68 UKRAINE .................................................................................................................................................. 68 Reform of Legal Framework and Enhancing Institutional Capacity for Environmental Permitting .. 68 REGIONAL ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................ 69 Justice Peer-Assisted Learning (JUST-PAL) Network........................................................................ 69 Testing a Regional Approach to Building Justice Sector Management .............................................. 69 LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION ........................................................................ 70 ARGENTINA .............................................................................................................................................. 70 Model Court Development Project ..................................................................................................... 70 Support to the Anti-Corruption Office of Argentina ........................................................................... 71 BOLIVIA ................................................................................................................................................... 72 Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 72 BRAZIL ..................................................................................................................................................... 72 Crime, Violence and Economic Development in Brazil: Elements for Effective Public Policy .......... 72 Making Justice Count: Measuring and Improving Judicial Performance in Brazil ........................... 72 CHILE ....................................................................................................................................................... 73 Capacity Building for Legal Practitioners in Gender Equality .......................................................... 73 Institutional Strengthening for Juvenile Justice in Chile .................................................................... 73 COLOMBIA................................................................................................................................................ 74 Institutional Strengthening of the Legal Claims Management System................................................ 74 Judicial Conflict Resolution Improvement Project ............................................................................. 75 Judicial Sector Development Project.................................................................................................. 75 Peaceful Dispute Resolution Services for the Poor ............................................................................ 76 ECUADOR ................................................................................................................................................. 77 Institutional Strengthening of the Solicitor General's Office.............................................................. 77 Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 77 Law and Justice for the Poor .............................................................................................................. 77 EL SALVADOR .......................................................................................................................................... 78 Judicial Modernization Project .......................................................................................................... 78 GUATEMALA ............................................................................................................................................ 79 Indigenous Women's Ombudsman Program....................................................................................... 79 -v- Judicial Reform Project ...................................................................................................................... 79 HONDURAS ............................................................................................................................................... 80 Judicial Branch Modernization Project.............................................................................................. 80 MEXICO .................................................................................................................................................... 80 The Juicio Ejecutivo Mercantil in the Federal District Courts of Mexico.......................................... 80 State Judicial Modernization Project.................................................................................................. 81 PARAGUAY ............................................................................................................................................... 81 Legal and Judicial Reforms ................................................................................................................ 81 PERU ........................................................................................................................................................ 82 Civil Society and the Rule of Law ....................................................................................................... 82 Justice Services Modernization Project .............................................................................................. 82 Ombudsman's Office Institutional Development ................................................................................ 83 Property Rights Consolidation Project............................................................................................... 84 Urban Property Rights Project ........................................................................................................... 85 URUGUAY................................................................................................................................................. 86 Strengthening Uruguay's Justice Institutions for Equitable Development ......................................... 86 VENEZUELA.............................................................................................................................................. 86 Judicial Infrastructure Development Project...................................................................................... 86 Supreme Court Modernization Project ............................................................................................... 87 REGIONAL ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................ 87 An Analysis of Court Users and Uses in Two Latin American Countries........................................... 87 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION ............................................................................... 89 ALGERIA................................................................................................................................................... 89 Le Droit des Affaires et le Developpement du Secteur Privé en Algerie............................................. 89 EGYPT ...................................................................................................................................................... 90 Poverty Alleviation and Legal Rights for Egyptian Women & Children ............................................ 90 IRAQ ......................................................................................................................................................... 90 Study Tour for the Iraqi Constitutional Review Committee ................................................................ 90 Workshop on Investment Climate, Trade Facilitation and the Legal System ..................................... 91 JORDAN .................................................................................................................................................... 91 First Public Sector Reform Project (PSRL-I) ..................................................................................... 91 Second Public Sector Reform Project (PSRL-II) ................................................................................ 91 Legal Aid for Poor Women ................................................................................................................. 92 LEBANON ................................................................................................................................................. 92 Supporting the Judiciary System in the Enforcement of Environmental Legislation .......................... 92 MOROCCO ................................................................................................................................................ 93 Judicial and Legal Reform Project ..................................................................................................... 93 TUNISIA .................................................................................................................................................... 94 Economic Competitiveness Loan I ...................................................................................................... 94 WEST BANK AND GAZA ........................................................................................................................... 94 Legal Development Project................................................................................................................. 94 REPUBLIC OF YEMEN ............................................................................................................................... 95 Legal and Judicial Reform Project ..................................................................................................... 95 Legal Reform....................................................................................................................................... 95 Technical Assistance to the General Department of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Planning and Development ....................................................................................................................................... 96 SOUTH ASIA REGION ............................................................................................................................ 97 AFGHANISTAN .......................................................................................................................................... 97 Building Capacity to Address Land-Related Conflicts ....................................................................... 97 Judicial Sector Reform Project ........................................................................................................... 98 BANGLADESH ........................................................................................................................................... 98 Legal and Judicial Capacity Building Project.................................................................................... 98 - vi - Technical Assistance of the Judiciary ................................................................................................. 99 INDIA ........................................................................................................................................................ 99 Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution in India....................................................................... 99 Technical Assistance to the Competition Commission of India ........................................................ 100 NEPAL .................................................................................................................................................... 100 Legal and Judicial Reforms to Strengthen Creditor Rights .............................................................. 100 NEPAL .................................................................................................................................................... 101 Office of the Attorney General Institutional Strengthening .............................................................. 101 PAKISTAN ............................................................................................................................................... 101 Reform in Regulatory and Legal Policy Environment Project.......................................................... 101 SRI LANKA ............................................................................................................................................. 101 Land Titling and Related Services Project........................................................................................ 101 Legal Aid Services to Poor Women................................................................................................... 102 Legal and Judicial Reforms Project.................................................................................................. 102 SELECTED WORLD BANK RESEARCH ON JUSTICE SECTOR................................................. 104 - vii - Acknowledgements This compendium of World Bank justice sector reform activities was first published in 2000, with six subsequent updates. The current volume was prepared by a core team led by Chief Counsel Christina Biebesheimer, Beth Anne Hoffman and Robert Buergenthal of the Justice Reform Practice Group of the Legal Vice Presidency, World Bank (LEGJR). Writing this volume would not have been possible without the input of all the members of the LEGJR Practice Group, especially Frances Allen, Klaus Decker and Mary Keane. Many others involved in justice reform in the World Bank commented on early drafts. We would like to thank the following for their contributions: Lisa Bhansali and Nancy Chaarani Meza (AFTPR); Amitabha Mukherjee, David S. Bernstein, Clelia Rontoyanni, Claire Louise Greer, Natasha Bhandari (ECSPE), David Varela (LCSPS), Teresa Genta-Fons (LEGLA), Dominique Bichara, Irina Kichigina (LEGEM), Roch Levesque (LEGES), and Rick Messick (PRMPS). Fatima Alhasan and Yan Qin provided research assistance; Dolie Schein provided production assistance. - viii - - ix - INTRODUCTION Initiatives in Justice Reform is a compendium of World Bank-financed activities in justice reform that has been published by the World Bank in six editions since 2000. This publication presents brief descriptions of the World Bank's justice reform activities throughout the world, at present and in the recent past, for both operational projects and research. An overview of the Bank's work in the justice sector is followed by brief summaries by geographic region of the Bank's current freestanding justice sector projects and grants, as well as descriptions of major justice-related components of projects in other sectors, such as private sector development and public sector reform. The activities described in this volume are those that have been identified by the Bank's Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS) Vice Presidency as falling under the theme of "Rule of Law;" they also meet the criteria for inclusion in the "Public Administration, Law and Justice" sector of World Bank assistance.1 They include descriptions of activities in preparation2, under implementation or that have been completed. Detailed information about projects, grants, and components listed in this volume is available via the World Bank's website.3 Additional information on justice reform topics, and links to World Bank projects, can be found on the Law and Justice Institutions page of the World Bank's Web site.4 The World Bank's current justice sector assistance and reform portfolio comprises nearly 2,500 justice reform activities in developing or transition countries. These activities take many operational forms and span all Bank operational instruments, including loans or credits,5 grants, technical assistance, and research. They also span a number of the Bank's operational divisions and units, since justice reform is a cross- cutting theme that involves issues of governance, anticorruption efforts, financial sector reform, private sector development, urban development, rural development, community- driven development, and land policy reform. The World Bank brings a multidisciplinary 1 Introduction to the Bank's Sector and Theme Codes, Delivery and Management, Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS), April 2006. The World Bank's theme and sector coding system was released in July 2002. The system codifies to lending operations, economic and sector work, technical assistance (non- lending), research services, client training, and other activities. 2 The projects designated as under preparation have completed the Project Concept Stage and have a Project Information Document on file in the World Bank's InfoShop. 3 See "Projects & Operations" tab at www.worldbank.org 4 See the World Bank's Law and Justice Institutions website at http://go.worldbank.org/SK9CKPG830 5 The World Bank is composed of two unique development institutions, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The IBRD focuses on middle-income countries and creditworthy poor countries while IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world. IBRD provides low-interest loans and IDA provides interest-free credits and grants to developing countries. -1- approach to its justice work, combining expertise from lawyers, economists, social scientists, financial management experts, and others to address a project's focus. Rationale for World Bank Justice Reform Activities The World Bank's overarching mission is to reduce poverty.6 Over the past two decades, the Bank has promoted adherence to the rule of law as a fundamental element of economic development and poverty reduction, given that the absence of well-functioning law and justice institutions and the presence of corruption are oft-cited constraints to economic growth and to the sustainability of development efforts. 7 A well-functioning legal and judicial system is critical not only as an end in itself, but also as a means of facilitating the achievement of other development objectives; thus a significant number of Bank loans in other development sectors contain justice reform activities or components. This focus reflects an understanding by the Bank and its member countries that the rule of law and justice are crucial to both growth and equity in countries throughout the world. The importance of a sound justice sector to development is illustrated in cross- country data sets such as the World Bank's Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) indicators8 and the World Bank Institute's (WBI) governance indicators,9 which demonstrate a correlation between deficiencies in the rule of law and negative economic and social development. The International Finance Corporation (IFC)10 publication Doing Business 2009 also provides a quantitative measure for comparing business regulations in ten indicator sets across 181 countries.11 Doing Business has found that streamlined court processes and faster contract enforcement are associated with a better environment for business.12 The Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS)--developed jointly by the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development--conducted surveys of over 4,000 firms in 22 6 The World Bank's Mission: "To fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results. To help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors". "Our Mission, About Us", www.worldbank.org) 7 See Robert B. Zoellick, An Inclusive and Sustainable Globalization, The National Press Club, Washington, DC, October 10, 2007. See also Six Strategic Themes: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/ORGANIZATION/EXTPRESIDENT20 07/0,,enableDHL:TRUE~menuPK:64822279~pagePK:64821908~piPK:64822015~theSitePK:3916065,00. html. See also James D. Wolfensohn, "A Proposal for a Comprehensive Development Framework", Discussion Draft. January 21, 1999. 8 Detailed information on CPIAs is available at the World Bank's IDA Resource Allocation Index Web page at http://go.worldbank.org/S2THWI1X60. 9 The data and methodology used to construct the indicators are described in "Governance Matters IV: Governance Indicators for 1996­2004." The data can be accessed interactively through the links provided at http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/govdata/. 10 The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) are three affiliated institutions which, with the IBRD and IDA, comprise the World Bank Group. 11 World Bank. (2009) "Doing Business in Landlocked Economies 2009.".World Bank/Information Finance Corporation. 12 Ibid. About Doing Business p. vii. -2- transition countries in the Europe and Central Asia Region. 13 The findings of these surveys indicate that firms identify critical obstacles to their effective functioning as crime, complex regulations, and judicial performance among others. The Bank's major annual publication, the World Development Report, has also focused on the role of justice in development. The World Development Report 2002: Building Institutions for Markets reviewed the importance of institutions in fostering development and good governance.14 The Report analyzed the crucial role that judicial systems play in the development of market economies by promoting markets, economic growth, and poverty reduction. The Report concludes that improvements in accountability, procedural simplification, and resource allocation, combined with a commitment to fairness, not only contribute to just dispute resolution, but also form the basis of lasting social order. The World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development15 called for more equitable access by the poor to health care, education, jobs, capital, and secure land rights, among others. It also called for greater equality of access to political freedoms and political power, the elimination of stereotyping and discrimination, and improved access for the poor to justice systems and infrastructure. Good governance and anticorruption efforts are an increasingly important focus of the World Bank's work. Reflecting the strong sentiment for justice reform expressed at stakeholder consultations, the recent Implementation Plan for Strengthening World Bank Group Engagement on Governance and Anticorruption16 identifies judicial and legal reform as part of a continuing focus to help strengthen State capability and accountability. Weak, corrupt, inaccessible, or untrustworthy justice sector institutions enable corruption and injustice. Fostering change in the justice sector requires long-term strategies that focus not only on the supply side but also on the demand side to strengthen public recourse to justice. Greater transparency in the courts--through streamlined procedures, better application of the law, and improved business processes--increases unbiased legal information and public access to laws and regulations for individuals and businesses alike. Areas of Justice Reform Assistance The World Bank provides significant financial and technical assistance for justice reform to developing countries around the world through two of its five institutions--the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The IBRD focuses on middle-income countries, while IDA targets the poorest countries in the world. Combined, the IBRD and IDA lent approximately US$304.2 million for justice sector activities in fiscal year 2008.17 13 http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/EXTECAREGTOPANTCOR/ 0,,contentMDK:20720934~pagePK:34004173~piPK:34003707~theSitePK:704666,00.html 14 See World Development Report 2002: Building Institutions for Markets, available in electronic form at the World Bank's Web site. http://www.worldbank.org/wdr/2001/fulltext/fulltext2002.htm. 15 See World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development, available in electronic form at the World Bank's Web site. http://go.worldbank.org/FFOT9IETN0. 16 Implementation Plan for Strengthening World Bank Group Engagement on Governance and Anticorruption. Operations Policy and Country Services. September 28, 2007. http://go.worldbank.org/6HHK3NDGL0. 17 See World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review. -3- Investment loans are made to countries in support of economic and social development projects in a wide range of economic and social sectors to finance goods, works, and services, while development policy loans (formerly known as adjustment loans) provide quick disbursement mechanisms to support countries' policy and institutional reforms. Both of these instruments are used to support the building and strengthening of justice sector institutions--23 closed lending projects and 14 active lending projects are dedicated exclusively to judicial reform, ranging in size from US$2.5 million to US$138.0 million. The World Bank also provides several types of grants for justice reform activities. While, overall, the amounts of these grants are small,18 they facilitate the piloting of innovative justice reform approaches that demonstrate the potential to provide important lessons and which may be scaled up into larger projects or programs.19 Since 1992, over 90 grants have been devoted to legal and justice reform, ranging in value from US$50,000 to US$3 million; in total they are worth over US$46.8 million. Justice reform programming is a relatively new and developing focus of World Bank assistance,20 but some broad trends can be identified. Initially, the Bank focused on working with client countries to improve commercial aspects of justice and support changes to the legal framework in order to improve the business environment. This work remains an important part of the Bank's justice portfolio. In subsequent years, and at the request of client countries, the Bank began to work with countries on institutional capacity building in the judiciary more broadly, as an aspect of public sector reform. This emphasis has expanded to embrace work throughout the justice sector, focusing not only on its role in improving the commercial environment, but also on its role in governance and anticorruption, as well as ensuring fairness and equity in society, especially for the poor and vulnerable. In response to client country requests, the Bank's work in the justice sector continues to evolve and includes a number of new initiatives to foster access to justice, particularly for vulnerable groups and often at the local or community level. Local conditions and contributions by the government and other stakeholders inform the scope and range of the Bank's involvement in justice sector reform in a particular country. Justice sector institutions resolve conflicts arising from alleged violations or differing interpretations of society's rules and, as a consequence, are central to strengthening the normative framework (laws and rules) that shapes public and private 18 Justice reform grants generally draw from two separate trust funds--the Institutional Development Fund (IDF) or the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) grant. The IDF grant facility was launched in 1992 and is meant to finance quick, action-oriented, discrete, generally innovative, upstream capacity-building activities that are identified and closely linked to the Bank's policy dialogue and economic and sector work. Legal and judicial reform is one of the focus areas of the IDF. The IDF grant amount ranges from USD$50,000 to US$500,000. The JSDF is a World Bank-administered trust fund established by the Government of Japan in June 2000. It was designed to provide project and capacity- building grants in eligible countries to support innovative programs that directly respond to the needs of the most fragile and vulnerable groups. JSDF grants range from US$50,000 to US$3.0 million. 19 Since its establishment, the IDF grant facility has supported projects supporting systemic legal and judicial reforms, including diagnostic and analytical activities, capacity building, civil society organization participation, and access to justice activities. An official systemic legal and judicial reform focus area was formally established in fiscal year 2002. 20 The Bank's first stand-alone project in justice sector reform was the Judicial Infrastructure Development Project (1994) in the Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela. -4- actions; they are thus embedded in and responsive to the local context.21 The World Bank's work in the justice sector, therefore, is tailored to a country's own development goals, and seeks to be informed about and responsive to local contexts. Three general themes emerge as common elements in World Bank justice reform assistance: (i) court management and performance, (ii) access to justice, and (iii) legal information and education. Court Management and Performance. Citizens in Bank member countries often report that courts are slow, corrupt, or inaccessible. Bank projects thus support efforts to improve service delivery by strengthening court performance. Project activities focus on court management, including, inter alia, strategic planning, financial management, data collection and use of data for management decisions; strengthening administrative and governance procedures; support for modern processes for the selection, career development, and management of justice sector personnel. They also highlight business processes of the court with the creation of case management systems to reduce delays and address case backlogs, and measures to improve transparency and accountability of the judicial process. Bank projects also often create or improve the physical and technological infrastructure of courts through the renovation or construction of court facilities and strengthening of information technology systems. Access to Justice. Many World Bank justice activities also aim to support improved access to justice­that is, greater ability by citizens and communities to make use of courts and other justice services. Project activities include analysis of the market for legal services, support for legal services and legal aid especially for the poor and vulnerable, and creation of mobile courts and services. Activities that support community-based or court-annexed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) seek to ease court congestion, accelerate conflict resolution, and in some cases provide alternative means for the poor and disadvantaged to resolve their problems. Bank projects also support justice mechanisms to hold public institutions accountable to the public, such as enhancing administrative procedures and strengthening public ministries and ombudsman's services. More recently, projects have focused particularly on the need to understand and support local, sometimes informal, dispute resolution processes, and the way in which these processes can contribute to court reform projects and to development projects in general.22 Legal Information and Education. Capacity building and training are important elements of the Bank's justice sector development activities to achieve organizational and institutional change and create a new legal culture. Projects address the education of judges, prosecutors, clerks and other officials and programs for law schools. Induction courses for new judges, continuing education, and assistance with planning and establishing judicial academies have all received support from the World Bank. The World Bank Institute provides assistance to Bank assistance teams to support learning activities through global and regional exchanges, incubator activities on emerging themes and 'just in time' support when customized education programs are required to support project activities. Recent activities have included regional programs to support judicial ethics, transparency and accountability, regional programs on public prosecution, and 21 See World Bank, 2008. Justice Sector Assessment Handbook. 22 See, for example, information on the Bank's Justice for the Poor program available on the World Bank's Web site. http://go.worldbank.org/SMIKY7M6O0 -5- activities to strengthen judicial training academies and alternative dispute resolution techniques.23 Increasingly Bank projects also support civic education for citizens and specific segments of society regarding their rights and responsibilities, outreach to civil society and the media, and improved access to and distribution of laws, legal information, and legal opinions. This seventh volume of Initiatives in Justice Reform presents brief summaries of World Bank justice reform projects, grants and research provided by region and by country in alphabetical order. In their totality, these descriptions highlight the breadth of the Bank's work in this critical field of development. 23 More information on the World Bank Institute's Judicial Reform program is available at http://go.worldbank.org/TJHDIN1RK0. -6- JUSTICE SECTOR PROJECT SUMMARIES A FRICA R EGION The World Bank began to address the problems facing justice systems within the Africa region beginning in the early 1980s. The region's justice sector first received Bank assistance with law reforms which then led to more comprehensive approach targeting financial and public sector management systems. Many of these Bank-financed reform programs entailed significant adjustments to legal and regulatory frameworks to facilitate economic development. Once such example was a Bank grant to support regional integration of commercial and business laws under the auspices of Francophone Africa's OHADA (Organization for Harmonization of Business Law in Africa) Treaty. Legal and judicial reform has also played an important role in Poverty Reduction Support Credits in the region, and in anti-corruption initiatives. Throughout the Africa Region, grants have focused on the role of justice as a means of improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, with activities to increase access to legal services, legal literacy, and to support the legal advancement of women. World Bank assistance included major components in investment and adjustment operations as well as grants. From 2003 to 2008, the World Bank financed US$309.2 million for rule of law activities in this region.24 Within this sphere of lending, the Bank has provided US$14.7 million in grants related to the justice sector and has also invested over US$111.0 million in project components. Benin Institutional Development Fund to Support the Empowerment of Women in Benin IDF Grant (TF No. 27574) for US$217,000 Approved: July 1997 Closed: December 1999 This IDF Grant was aimed at supporting Government and civil society efforts to promote greater women's participation in the debates and decision-making of the legal and judicial reform process. In particular, it sought to assist the Ministry for the Promotion of Women (Direction pour la Condition Féminine-DCF) to play an important role in the defining policies for mainstreaming gender in development programs. The purpose of this Grant was to support the Government's ability to implement policies: (i) clarifying the DCF's institutional goals and improving its organizational structure and activities; (ii) strengthening the DCF's capacity to collect, process, and use data that directly/indirectly affects the legal, economic, and social status of women; and 24 World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review, pg. 33. -7- (iii) strengthening the technical and institutional outreach of the already established program of activities of the non-governmental organization implementing the grant, the Women's Lawyers Association of Benin (Association des Femmes Juristes du Bénin ­ AFJB). Benin Judicial and Legal Reform Project PHRD Grant (TF No. 25939) for US$278,600 Approved: August 1999 Closed: July 2001 The Policy and Human Resources Development (PHRD) Grant was designed to provide technical assistance to the Republic of Benin in order to prepare a Legal and Judicial Reform Project to strengthen and modernize Benin's legal and judicial systems. The grant helped finance the completion of the Government's Strategic Plan for the development and modernization of its legal and judicial systems and with the preparation of an action plan to implement the strategic plan. Furthermore, the grant financed monitoring and supervision mechanisms, including the establishment of procedures to ensure effective aid coordination and productive working relationships between central Government institutions and departments and local government. Benin Poverty Reduction Support Credit(s) Credit No. 3873-BJ for US$20.0 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2004 Closed: June 2005 Credit No. 4079-BJ for US$30.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2005 Closed: June 2006 Credit No. 4214-BJ for US$30.0 million (equivalent) Approved: November 2006 Closed: December 2007 Credit No. 4339-BJ for US$40.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2007 Closed: June 2008 By 2003, the Government of Benin had been successful in sustaining steady economic growth while building a pluralist democracy for over a decade. Benin achieved remarkable progress in sustaining robust growth, which continued for many years after the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994. It is in that context that the Government, together with its main development partners, decided to pursue and sustain a more poverty-focused growth strategy. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) prepared in 2003 outlined and prioritized the Government's poverty reduction strategy based on four pillars: (i) bolstering the medium-term macroeconomic framework; (ii) strengthening human development and environmental management, including improving the access of the poor to quality basic services (basic education, primary health care, -8- water and sanitation, food security and nutrition, adequate habitat, and rural roads); (iii) improving governance and institutional reforms, such as decentralization, public administration reform, and the strengthening of the legal and judicial system; and (iv) improving employment or income-generating opportunities for the poor and strengthening their capacity to participate in decision making and production. The Bank approved three Poverty Reduction Support Credits (PRSCs) during the 2004­2006 period. PRSC-1 incorporated actions designed to improve governance and public sector management, with a focus on budgeting and financial management. PRSC- 2 included a component on civil service reform, decentralization, and strengthening of the legal and judiciary framework. The third component of PRSC-3 incorporated measures designed to ensure good governance and further enhance public sector management. These actions included moving forward with reforms to improve budget execution, accounting and procurement; strengthening the legal and judicial sector; deconcentration and decentralization; improving public administration; strengthening the capacity to monitor and evaluate poverty reduction; and promoting transparency and anticorruption. PRSC-4 sought to put into place the pre-requisites for reform, including an information system to generate data on the justice sector's principal indicators, carrying out an institutional audit of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and implementation of a monitoring and evaluation system in the Ministry. The credit also sought to improve the operational efficiency of the Judiciary and MoJ by providing equipment for the MoJ and the courts and building capacity in the legal profession through strengthening of legal education. Finally, the fourth credit included activities to empower citizens to participate more fully in the reform process and to hold public institutions accountable through the establishment of a Legal and Judicial Information Center, and supported efforts of NGOs to inform people of their legal rights. Benin Reinforcement of the Anti-Corruption Unit in the Presidency IDF Grant (TF No. 27206) for US$126,000 Approved: July 1998 Closed: July 2001 Benin was one of the six pilot countries chosen initially by Transparency International and the Global Coalition for Africa to launch a renewed fight against corruption in Africa. Benin, along with the five other pilot countries--namely, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda--invited the Bank to send multidisciplinary teams to assess their anticorruption programs and institutional settings as well as to suggest ways in which the World Bank could assist with strengthening their national anticorruption efforts. This grant was one of the Bank's first undertakings in support of an anticorruption agency. Benin sought the Bank's support in strengthening the country's anticorruption bureau [La Cellule pour la Moralisation de la vie Publique CMVP]. This was the overall objective of the IDF grant, which comprised the following components: (a) clarification of the CMVP's operational mandate through public consultations and workshops; (b) provision of technical assistance to the CMVP to define its operational systems, organization, procedures, and job descriptions for its personnel as well as development of -9- a two-year work program; (c) an information, education, and communication component to provide outreach on anticorruption issues; (d) training and related study tours of other existing Anti-Corruption Bureaus throughout Africa. Benin Support for the Law Against Female Genital Mutilation IDF Grant (TF No. 55876) for US$450,000 Approved: November 2005 Closed: November 2008 In March 2003, Benin's Parliament passed three laws to improve women's health in general and their reproductive health in particular. These laws focused on: (i) banning harmful traditional practices in villages and health centers [Loi contre les mutilations génitales feminines]; (ii) providing open and affordable access to reproductive health counseling and commodities [Loi sur la santé de la reproduction]; and (iii) according equal status to women in a couple's decision-making process and the right to refuse a polygamous relationship [le Code de la famille]. The grant has four main components: (a) the creation of a national dissemination plan, including local dissemination plans and translation of laws into local languages (Fon, Mina, and Yoruba); (b) capacity enhancement for ministerial Focal Points and for The Women's Bar Association of Benin [L'Association of Femme Juristes au Benin]; (c) female genital mutilation/circumcision and HIV/AIDS prevention activities; and (d) joint monitoring and evaluation activities, to be undertaken in conjunction with UNICEF. Burkina Faso Gender/Legal Literacy for Women Project IDF Grant (TF No. 27378) for US$268,000 Approved: January 2001 Closed: November 2003 The purpose of this grant was to support the Ministry of Promotion of Women (MPF) in establishing mutual working relationships with other actors in the field in order to maximize and sustain initiatives that advance the socioeconomic and legal status of women. The grant supported three main activities: (a) strengthening the capacity of the MPF, including producing gender- and law-related information and developing staff communication and management skills; (b) developing the Ministry of Promotion of Women's outreach capacity by enhancing alliances with national institutions and those organizations active in the promotion of the empowerment of women at the regional and provincial levels; and (c) supporting the Association of Women Jurists of Burkina Faso (AFJBF) in developing outreach materials for the grant's legal literacy and legal aid initiatives. - 10 - Burundi Capacity Building to Sustain Gender-Responsive Legal Reform Initiatives IDF Grant (TF No. 52438) for US$458,000 Approved: July 2003 Closed: July 2007 This grant was designed to support institutional and capacity-building efforts in Burundi to promote gender-responsive legal reform and to improve legal literacy and access to legal aid services for the poor and socially vulnerable, particularly with respect to issues such as protection of property, succession, inheritance, reparation or compensation to victims of sexual offenses, and transmission of HIV/AIDs. The grant was composed of three main activities: (a) training staff in the Ministry of Social Action and the Advancement of Women (MAS/PF); (b) building partnerships between MAS/PF and civil society NGOs (such as the Association of Women Jurists, AFJ, and the Association of Catholic Jurists, AJC), including creating a Legal Action Plan for the elimination of gender-discriminatory legislation, designing legal literacy and education initiatives, and promoting access to basic legal services for the poor and socially vulnerable; and (c) developing outreach initiatives in order to serve the needs of local communities and facilitate the interaction between formal legal mechanisms and traditional customary practices. Burundi Economic Management Support Project (EMSP) Credit No. 3852- BI for US$26.0 million (equivalent) Approved: January 2004 Closing Date: July 2009 This project was designed to build upon the Government Transitional Strategy presented at the Paris Conference in December 2000. The project was formulated in close collaboration with major concerned donors, in the context of an overall aid effort characterized by both an unusual partnership with other donors and a need to respond to fluid developments in a pragmatic and realistic manner. The Project's objective is to increase the efficiency of the Borrower's macroeconomic, financial, and administrative management systems by strengthening system accountability and transparency. The project includes four components: (i) macroeconomic management, (ii) public finance and administrative management, (iii) public procurement and privatization of public enterprises, and (iv) legal and judicial reform and oversight strategy. The legal and judicial component is estimated at US$1.6 million equivalent. Specifically, the component supports: (i) the modernization of the private sector legal and regulatory framework, (ii) the design of a legal and judicial reform strategy and strengthening oversight structure capacity, (iii) technical assistance to arbitration centers (iv) the preparation of a diagnostic study of the justice sector, (iv) a review of the legal framework, and (vi) the provision of technical support to the Ministry of Justice, along with training to magistrates, notably in business law. - 11 - Cape Verde Access to Legal Services for Vulnerable Groups including Women JSDF Grant (TF 54211) for US$909,160 Approved: April 2005 Closing Date: June 2009 The Bank has provided assistance to Cape Verde for various justice initiatives including: (a) components of Poverty Reduction Support Credits; (b) an Institutional Development Fund Grant (IDF); and (c) a Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) Grant. These are all described below. This JSDF grant provides direct support to the Ministry of Justice's Legal Centers [casas de direito] in an effort to increase access to justice by vulnerable groups, particularly women. More specifically, this assistance includes the creation and implementation of Legal Centers on the country's nine inhabited islands. The Legal Centers seek to provide legal information to vulnerable groups through one of the grant's main activities and, when appropriate, also provided legal representation in court. The Ministry of Justice has partnered with the Cape Verdean Bar Association to provide legal services. The grant will assist with: (a) the establishment and staffing of the Legal Center facilities; (b) the training of paralegals to independently carry out outreach legal literacy sessions for illiterate and semi-illiterate persons (particularly women); (c) the provision of regular visits by specialized attorneys on each island; (d) assistance in legal and social matters for vulnerable groups, including women, on all islands--if necessary legal/judicial representation requests will be processed through a pilot Legal Aid Fund; and (e) publication of legal literacy material in Portuguese and in Creole and implementation of Radio campaigns on the role and services provided by the Legal Centers. Cape Verde Poverty Reduction Support Credit(s) Credit No. 4037-CV for US$15.0 million (equivalent) Approved: February 2005 Closed: March 2006 Credit No. 4175-CV for US$10.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2006 Closed: August 2006 Credit No. 4280-CV for US$10.0 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2007 Closed: December 2007 Credit No. 4434-CV for US$10.0 million (equivalent) Approved: July 2008 Closing Date: December 2008 Despite Cape Verde's small size (population 472,000) and remote location off the coast of Africa, continues to post strong gains in social and economic advancement; Cape Verde is now ranked in the group of lower-middle-income countries. Through the PRSC - 12 - series, IDA has engaged in policy and technical dialogue in three of the five Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper (GPRSP) pillars--specifically governance, human development, and social protection. This PRSC series complements work financed by grants from the Institutional Development Fund and Japanese Social Development Fund (described in the preceding and following and project summaries) in support of different legal and judicial reform activities, as well as the reform of the pension system envisaged under the Growth and Competitiveness Project. The PRSC Series (PRSC-1, PRSC-2, PRSC-3, and PRSC-4) focused on promoting good governance to reinforce effectiveness and guarantee equity through public expenditure management reforms, as well as civil service, decentralization, and legal and judicial reform, to promote decentralized service delivery and strengthen municipalities, modernize civil service and public sector management, and facilitate access to justice for underprivileged citizens. With resources from the PRSCs, Cape Verde approved a decree on mediation, and a law on arbitration. Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice entered into an arrangement with the Cape Verdean Bar Association to pay lawyers assisting underprivileged clients on the basis of pre-arranged fees. PRSC resources also helped the Judicial Aid Fund, which became operational in 2007. The funds helped to empower citizens to participate more fully in the reform process and to hold justice sector institutions more accountable through dissemination of legal information. Cape Verde Strengthening the Rule of Law IDF Grant (TF No. 53035) for US$388,000 Approved: December 2003 Closed: December 2006 The objective of this grant was to provide support to Cape Verde's justice sector to strengthen the rule of law by providing legal training to justice sector officials, NGOs and mediators; promoting dissemination of legal information; monitoring current efforts to improve access to legal services to the poor; and launching gender-related capacity- building activities. The grant supported the Ministry of Justice in the implementation of three main activities: (a) strengthening the Ministry of Justice; (b) strengthening the Institute of Women Condition; and (c) development of a legal education program. Central African Republic Economic Management and Government Reform Grant IDA Grant No. H3920-CF for US$7.9 million (equivalent) Approved: May 2008 Closing Date: May 2009 A one tranche development policy operation, the Economic Management and Governance Reform Grant supports the implementation of the Central African Republic's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The proposed grant focuses on two main policy areas: (i) strengthening public finance management; and (ii) improving public - 13 - sector and economic governance. This operation directly supports two pillars of the PRSP: (i) promoting good governance and the rule of law (pillar 2); and (ii) rebuilding and diversifying the economy (pillar 3). In addition, it will assist the Government in attaining some of the Completion Point triggers for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and will provide much needed external resources to ensure timely payment of public sector salaries and external debt service. Central African Republic Reengagement and Institution-Building Support Project IDA Grant No. H2570-CF for US$82.0 million (equivalent) Approved: November 2006 Closed: November 2006 The Central African Republic (CAR), with a long history of armed conflicts, poor leadership, and political instability, transitioned into a democracy in July 2005. With diminishing external financing, poor living conditions, and continually growing debt-- both external and domestic--reaching insurmountable heights, the CAR was at high risk of renewed conflict and bankruptcy. The Economic and Social Policy Framework (ESPF) was adopted by the new government in an attempt to address the needs of the post- conflict transition and to bring about stability. This ESPF framework had four overarching objectives: (a) the reinforcement of security and consolidation of peace; (b) institution building and governance reform; (c) macroeconomic stabilization and the promotion of economic growth, and; (d) improved access by the population to essential services and infrastructure. Within the governance component, the grant supported: (i) anti-corruption efforts; (ii) improvements to the business environment through better observance of investor rights, and better trained judges with regards to business law; (iii) revisions to the investment code, and supported the preparation of a new telecommunications code and new forestry code; (iv) enhanced transparency in the mining sector, as regards reporting of the content of mining conventions; and (v) greater adherence to and implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Ethiopia Managing and Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights: Creating a Driver of Growth IDF Grant (TF No. 57338) for US$496,000 Approved: October 2006 Closing Date: October 2009 Ethiopia has unique cultural, biotech, and agricultural assets and products that are currently not valued, branded, or protected. Therefore, they do not generate income for the country. Improving Ethiopia's ability to protect its intellectual property internationally will enable the poor to connect to external markets and reap greater financial benefits. Ethiopia currently has a limited, but developing, legal framework for the protection of intellectual property rights, similar to many other African countries. The grant's objective is to strengthen the capacity of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) to manage, brand, and protect property rights. - 14 - This grant provides financial assistance for a number of capacity-building activities. These are (a) intellectual property product valuation and branding assessments, evaluating the domestic and export income-generating potential of export products in concert with the government and private sector to receive extensive international expertise and capacity building support; (b) capacity building of Ethiopian Administrative and Justice Sector Teams through a series of tailored and sequenced activities to build the branding and licensing capacity of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) and other local stakeholders; and (c) empowering local intellectual property rights agencies through partnerships between the private sector, civil society, and local producers to develop their local Intellectual Property portfolios. Additional technical assistance will be provided to support the local ability to enforce their property rights internationally. The objective of the capacity-building and outreach activities is to improve access to services and empower local producers to develop their local intellectual product asset portfolios. Ethiopia Public Sector Capacity Building Program Support Project (PSCAP) Credit No. 3899-ET for US$100.0 million (equivalent) Approved: May 2004 Closing Date: July 2009 The objectives of the Public Sector Capacity Building Program Support Project (PSCAP) are to improve the scale, efficiency, and responsiveness of public service delivery at the federal, regional, and local levels; empower citizens to participate more effectively in shaping their own development; and promote good governance and accountability. The program has six main components: (i) civil service reform; (ii) district-level decentralization; (iii) urban management capacity building; (iv) tax systems reform; (v) justice system reform; and (vi) information and communications technology. Justice system reform activities under the project involve activities at both the national and local (district) levels. The project seeks to improve transparency and accountability through efforts to strengthen formal checks and balances as well as accountability mechanisms by means of reform of the justice system, including the courts, law making and law enforcement institutions, and the legislative process. This subprogram is designed to promote the rule of law as well as the efficient and effective functions of the justice system as part of Ethiopia's broader democratization and private sector development processes. Subprogram activities include (a) strengthening the Justice Systems Reform Program Office and regional equivalents; (b) strengthening the courts by providing in-service training of judges and court clerks, court administration reform, development of records and case load management systems, and identification of measures to enhance access to justice; (c) support for law reform, including the development of systems and procedures for declaring income and property, identification of new areas for law development, compiling and preparation of laws and regulations, and drafting of stock exchange and other laws; and (d) strengthening of the legislative process, including training, technical advisory services, and acquisition of equipment for staff of federal and regional standing committees on legislative drafting and analysis of - 15 - legislative process and management, as well as training for members of standing committees on the principles of the federal grant and intergovernmental fiscal framework, monitoring and impact assessment, HIV/AIDS and gender issues, accountability and participation. Linkages with civil service reform, urban management, information and communications technologies, and tax system reform subprograms will be reflected in federal and regional plans and coordinated during implementation. The Gambia Capacity Building for Economic Management Project Credit No. 3555-GM for US$15.0 million (equivalent) Approved: July 2001 Closed: December 2008 The Capacity Building for Economic Management Project sought to build capacity to facilitate private sector development under its third component, valued at US$1.31 million equivalent. This component focused primarily on the legal, financial, and regulatory sectors and supported activities such as the: (i) training of judges, magistrates, court registrars, and court officials in the Judiciary; (ii) preparation of a judicial information strategy and establishment of a Court Case Administration System for the High Court of the Gambia; (iii) establishment of a pilot dispute resolution system; (iv) restructuring of the Registrar General, Curator of Interstate Estates, and the Registrar of companies and attachments to the appropriate institutions in small commonwealth countries; and (v) refinement of the legal/judicial sector strategy. Ghana Legal Reform and Legal Aid for the Advancement of Women IDF Grant (TF No. 52041) for US$400,000 Approved: April 2003 Closed: April 2006 The Government of Ghana sought to address the needs of the poor and socially disadvantaged in a country characterized by a significant number of female-headed households and HIV/AIDS orphans. Within this context, the legal status and rights of women were viewed as a crucial aspect of the larger development process. The purpose of the grant was to enhance efforts by both the Government and civil society to launch a gender-responsive legal reform process. To that end, the grant supported three main activities over the three years of implementation: (a) strengthening the capacity of the Attorney General's Office and the Ministry for Women and Children's Affairs, building its management capabilities, advocacy role, and ability to forge strategic alliances and partnerships at a central and regional government level; (b) strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Justice to enhance its leadership in identifying gender- discriminatory provisions and practices in the country's legal framework and jurisprudence and, where appropriate, drafting new gender-responsive legislation and carrying out legal literacy initiatives; and (c) developing a more comprehensive approach to legal aid by fostering partnerships between the Government and civil society in order - 16 - to extend the outreach of legal and judicial aid programs through a more comprehensive and innovative approach to legal and judicial aid. Ghana Strengthening the Adjudication Capacity of Traditional Leaders IDF Grant (TF No. 90812) for US$375,000 Approved: November 2007 Closing Date: November 2010 Like many African countries, Ghana has a dual legal system, which recognizes both customary and statutory law. Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms are present in areas where the formal judicial service has not extended its reach and are generally deemed more accessible and credible by local communities. Nevertheless, the failure to reconcile traditional processes with a national modern judicial system has led to a lack of predictability in judicial decision making. The objective of this grant is to contribute to improvements throughout Ghana through more responsive dispute resolution by traditional authorities. Strengthening the capacity and role of traditional authorities and fostering reconciliation between customary law and the formal judicial system will increase access to justice to the many people living in remote rural areas. The grant components cover activities related to (a) assessing the existing dispute resolution mechanisms exercised by traditional authorities to better understand the traditional adjudication norms. In addition, this component will undertake an assessment of the Judicial Training Institute in delivering training; (b) capacity building activities for the traditional authorities in the use of modern adjudication resolution mechanisms in three districts; and (c) a financial audit of the project. Guinea-Bissau Private Sector Rehabilitation and Development Project Credit No. 3622-GW for US$26.0 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2002 Closing Date: September 2009 Armed conflict in 1998­99 critically weakened the social and economic fabric of the already deeply impoverished country of Guinea-Bissau, leading to accumulated costs equivalent to half of the country's GDP and stalling progress being made toward poverty reduction. In 2001, the newly inaugurated government relaunched the reform agenda and made the Private Sector Development Program (PSD) a top priority in addressing post- conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction. Privatization strategies and legal reforms were implemented in order to encourage greater domestic and foreign participation in private sector economic activities and enhance the investment climate. The purpose of this project is to support Guinea-Bissau in its efforts to stimulate investment, competitiveness, and participation in the private sector by implementing the government's divestiture program. This will be achieved through reforms targeting infrastructure and the commercial banking sector, the outsourcing of government services, promotion of private investment, implementation of legal reforms, strengthening of supply chains, and improvements to the fiscal and regulatory aspects of the business - 17 - environment. In addition, the successful implementation of this project will contribute to GDP growth and poverty reduction. The project has three main components: (i) building partnerships and private participation through reforms aimed at the telecommunications, air transport, port, water and energy sectors; (ii) improving the investment climate by modernizing business laws and making fair and equitable justice accessible to individuals and private enterprises; and (iii) supporting implementation and capacity building to ensure that appropriate implementation capacity exists and development objectives are met. The cost of the justice sector component of this project is estimated at US$5.54 million. Kenya Capacity Building of the Legal Profession IDF Grant (TF No. 54290) for US$256,000 Approved: October 2004 Closing Date: October 2008 This project's main objective was to strengthen the capacity of the legal profession as a key component of the legal and judicial reform process in Kenya. The grant provided assistance to the legal profession through the Law Society of Kenya to fulfill its mandate to strengthen the skills and professional conduct of the members of the legal profession in the delivery of legal services to the government and the larger public in all matters relating to the administration of justice in Kenya. Activities covered by the grant included: (a) helping the legal profession to build skills and improve professional conduct to ensure quality, transparency, and accountability in the legal profession; and (b) improving continuing education systems in this field. Kenya Capacity Building to Support Gender-Responsive Legal Reform IDF Grant (TF No. 53703) for $489,000 Approved: October 2004 Closed: October 2008 The institutional strengthening and capacity building activities funded under the IDF Grant had their foundation in the roadmap for gender-responsive legal reform described in the Kenyan Government's Report of the Taskforce on Laws relating to Women (1998) and the policy framework described in the Expanded Legal Sector Reform Program (1999). The grant design reflected the need to support partnerships between Government and civil society in promoting gender-responsive legal reform and improved access to legal services by the poor and socially vulnerable. The purpose of this grant was to assist with institutional strengthening and capacity building in Kenya to contribute to a more gender-responsive implementation of the country's Expanded Legal Sector Reform Program. The activities included in the grant were: (a) enhancement of national dialogue and partnership on gender-responsive legal reform to strengthen national dialogue; (b) development of a national strategy for the promotion of access to legal services by the poor; (c) skills training for key actors - 18 - involved in the gender-responsive legal and judicial reform process; (d) strengthening and expansion of the legal literacy/legal aid initiative; and (e) joint monitoring and evaluation. Kenya Financial and Legal Sector Technical Assistance Project Credit No. 3992-KE for US$18.0 million (equivalent) Approved: October 2004 Closing Date: March 2010 At the inception of the Financial and Legal Sector Technical Assistance Project, economic recovery and promotion of sustainable growth were key priorities for the Kenyan Government. The Government recognized that it needed to address the structural weaknesses contributing to the national decline in productivity and economic competitiveness over the previous two decades. The Government prepared an Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation through a broad consultative process; the strategy identified a number of priority investments and policy and institutional reforms to address these weaknesses. The overall development objective of the project is to create a sound financial system and a strengthened legal framework and judicial capacity that will ensure broad access to financial and related legal services and optimal allocation of resources for sustained economic growth. Similar objectives in the justice sector are being provided through the Government's Medium-Term Governance, Justice, Law and Order Sector (GJLOS) Reform Programme (http://www.gjlos.go.ke).25 The project's Financial and Judicial Sector Strategy Development Component (US$0.36 million) supports the development of a strategy for the judiciary which will include the introduction of performance and service standards, a comprehensive training program, and the introduction of a credible system for the selection, appointment, and removal/discipline of judges and other judicial staff, as well as the strengthening of the Judicial Services Commission. The project will assist relevant agencies to develop a framework for monitoring and evaluating progress in financial sector development and judicial and legal reforms. Kenya Judicial Performance Improvement Project Loan under preparation Proposed US$40.0 million (equivalent) The main objective of the proposed Judicial Performance Improvement Project is to improve the performance of the judiciary in areas that are key for public accountability and user satisfaction. The project will (a) enable the judiciary to better measure and monitor its performance; (b) strengthen the accountability and transparency of the judiciary; and (c) provide judges and court officers with tools to improve performance in 25 While the majority of donors provide funding to GJLOS through basket funding, the Bank's assistance remains separate. - 19 - four areas: oversight of budget and procurement, increased responsiveness to citizen concerns, improved case and trial management to speed trials and reduce backlog, and understanding and reducing major barriers to citizen use of courts. The project's specific components cover court administration and case management; judicial training; access to justice; transparency, public communication and outreach; and project management. The project is expected to be presented to the Board in 2009. Liberia Capacity Building for Justice Services LICUS Grant (TF No. 91831) for US$750,000 Approved: May 2008 Closing Date: February 2010 This project was designed based on the findings of a Liberia Judicial Assessment Report, reviewed and accepted by the Government of Liberia and UNMIL, and further meetings with the Government, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, and UNMIL to prioritize initial short- and medium-term priorities. The objective of this grant is to accomplish practical projects that are visible and have a tangible impact during the short and medium term. The grant also seeks to facilitate Liberia's integration into the region. This grant prioritizes actions required for restoration of the rule of law in Liberia and, together with other donors active in the sector, assists the Government in addressing some of the justice system's deficiencies. The training of judicial officials (judges, court clerks, and other judicial officers), especially of the lower courts is seen as critical to strengthening of the judicial framework and ensuring adherence to the rule of law. The project also seeks, in cooperation with the Liberian Bar and Law School, to widen access to justice by establishing a clinic program, providing Liberians with the tools to assert their legal rights as well as help overcome barriers to the system. Madagascar Governance and Institutional Development Project Credit No. 3829-MG for US$30.0 million (equivalent) Approved: November 2003 Closing Date: June 2009 As a result of low agricultural production, a small manufacturing labor sector, lack of road access, stagnant land markets, and high illiteracy rates, Madagascar is ranked amongst the poorest countries in Africa. The Government of Madagascar developed the Poverty Reduction Support Program (PRSP) to institute reforms in both the public and private sectors to achieve greater transparency and accountability. The purpose of the Governance and Institutional Development Project is to assist the Government of Madagascar with implementation of the PRSP by: (i) rationalizing and modernizing budget and public expenditure management; (ii) improving accountability and transparency of government operations; (iii) refining government - 20 - strategy in the area of judicial reform and; (iv) strengthening the capacity of public institutions to cope with complex changes. The project provides support to the Ministry of Justice through a US$2.2 million subcomponent to address justice reform, identified by the Government as a critical element to consolidation of a democratic State governed by the rule of law. In this context, the fight against significant corruption in the judiciary is a cornerstone for the Government of Madagascar's program to improve governance. In addition, within the framework of economic liberalization and development of a market economy, the existence of a transparent and reliable judicial system, particularly in the area of business law, is considered indispensable. The support needs identified by the Ministry of Justice are numerous and diverse. The World Bank's support aims to complement the activities of other development partners, in particular the European Union, and to consolidate the reforms initiated under the previous Public Sector Capacity Building Project (PAIGEP), which focused on the modernization of business law, publication of existing texts to the relevant stakeholders, and the enhancement of human resources through the creation of a National School for Magistrates and Clerks of the Court. Project assistance will be closely coordinated with other development partners. Madagascar Governance and Institutional Development Project II Credit No. 4411-MG for US$40.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2008 Closing Date: August 2012 In late 2006, Madagascar launched a new poverty reduction strategy, the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP). The new development strategy outlined priorities and actions aimed at achieving the national vision and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first Governance and Institutional Development Project (PGDI) has been a key instrument in assisting the Government with the implementation of its governance and institutional development agenda. Given the successful implementation experience with the PGDI to date, the Government has requested the Bank's support for a second Governance and Institutional Development Project during this critical stage of the implementation of the MAP. The second project should enhance and further deepen the first generation of reforms from the first project; it should also help the Government address some additional cross-cutting issues that are considered critical for MAP implementation. The objective of the second Governance and Institutional Development Project is to improve the efficiency and transparency of government and selected public services in Madagascar in line with the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP). There are five components to the project, the third and fourth of which deal specifically with the justice sector. Of particular interest, the third component, which concerns the rule of law and the fight against corruption (US$3.0 million equivalent), aims to help the Government promote transparency, accountability, and good governance, and in particular, reduce corruption. Project assistance will build on the activities initiated under the first PGDI and focus mainly on improving the operational efficiency of the judiciary, on supporting activities - 21 - related to anticorruption and conflicts of interest, and on strengthening oversight by the Auditor General and by Parliament over State affairs. Component 4 targets transparency and social accountability. The component aims to foster increased implication of civil society in State affairs and to enhance social accountability, which are key objectives of the MAP. Mali Institutional Development of the MPFEF and Collaborating NGOs in Promoting Legal Reform and Legal Literacy IDF Grant (TF No. 27278) for US$265,000 Approved: March 1999 Closed: July 2002 This grant was developed shortly after the creation of the Ministry for the Advancement of Women, Children and the Family (Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme de l'Enfant et de la Famille--MPFEF). In order to achieve its objectives, the MPFEF committed to taking a number of institutional and regulatory steps to consolidate its role in coordinating all initiatives for the advancement of women in key sectors, by forging partnerships with civil society. Furthermore, the Grant was an outcome of a workshop on constitutional reform convened in 1993 by the Association of Women Jurists of Mali, which received technical and financial assistance from the World Bank. The two objectives of this grant were to support institutional development activities of the Ministry by: (a) building the capacity of the MPFEF to deliver on its operational action and investment plans for the advancement of the legal status of women, and (b) strengthening women's knowledge of their rights and their ability to enforce those rights by promoting gender-responsive legal reform and legal literacy initiatives in collaboration with NGOs active at the grassroots level in the various departments. Mali Legal Aid Services for the Poor JSDF Grant (TF No. 54741) for US$902,940 Approved: January 2005 Closed: January 2009 The development objective of the Legal Aid Services for the Poor project was to achieve institutional strengthening and capacity building of civil society organizations to promote access to justice for the poor and socially vulnerable by establishing a network of trainers and training paralegals to provide legal aid services to the poor. Specific indicators included: (i) increased legal literacy of women, the poor, and the most vulnerable in target communes and villages; (ii) increased access of women, the poor, and the most vulnerable to legal aid services in target communes and villages; (iii) an increase in the number of villages and communes that deliver legal aid services to women, the poor, and the most vulnerable; and (iv) greater awareness of the judiciary, bar, bench, elders in villages and communes, and recipients of legal aid services to promote the need for equal access to justice by the poor and vulnerable. - 22 - Mauritania Application of the Law and the Advancement of Legal Status of Women IDF Grant (TF No. 27298) for US$286,000 Approved: October 1999 Closed: October 2002 The purpose of this grant was to support efforts by both the Government and civil society to promote greater participation by women in the legal and judicial reform process, thus promoting more equitable development. The grant supported three main activities: (a) establishment of the Association of Women Jurists of Mauritania (AMAFEJ) to undertake legal training and legal literacy initiatives; (b) promotion of increased access to alternative methods of conflict resolution, including mediation and conciliation provided by civil society, NGO services, and the Bar Association; and (c) support for the formation of strategic alliances between the Government (Secrétariat d'Etat à la Condition Féminine SECF and the Ministry of Justice) and AMAFEJ. Cooperation between these groups was instrumental in implementing the legal section of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women (1995) and in paving the way for the formulation of the new strategy in 2001. Mauritania Implementation of Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Strategy IDF Grant (TF No. 90544) for US$356,000 Approved: November 2007 Closing Date: November 2010 The objective of this project is to assist Mauritania with the set-up of a Financial Intelligence Unit and establishment of its internal procedures, including budget management, promotion of effective bank supervisory systems in anti-money-laundering processes, dissemination of Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) practices in banks and in non-financial professions, and training of the judiciary. The project will also support Mauritania's efforts to better fight corruption, helping the country to meet its international commitments as set forth in the UN convention on terrorist financing and transnational crime. Ultimately, by helping the country to create an operational AML/CFT system consistent with international standards, the project will prevent abuse of the financial sector by criminals and, at the same time, reinforce the importance of corporate governance and transparency and the secure management of oil revenues. - 23 - Mauritania Legal Aid Services to the Poor JSDF Grant (TF No. 54743) for US$863,520 Approved: January 2005 Closed: January 2009 The development objective of this grant was to achieve institutional strengthening and capacity building of civil society organizations to promote access to justice for the poor and socially vulnerable. Specific indicators included: (i) increased legal literacy of women, the poor, and the most vulnerable; (ii) increased access by women, the poor, and the most vulnerable to legal aid and judicial services; (iii) an increase in the number of villages and communes that deliver legal aid services to the poor and most vulnerable, and (iv) increase the awareness of judiciary, the bar, the court, and leaders in villages and communes, and recipients of legal aid services to promote the need for equal access by the vulnerable to justice. Mauritania Legal Reform and Private Sector Capacity Building IDF Grant (TF No. 51455) for US$448,000 Approved: September 2002 Closed: September 2005 The purpose of this grant was to support law reform initiatives that facilitate private sector growth in Mauritania. The grant supported four main activities: (a) strengthening of the capacity of the judicial system and the Ministry of Justice by improving the Inspection Judiciaire, enhancing the Legal Information Center of the Official Gazette, and supporting the commercial legal reform process; (b) strengthening of the institutional capacity of key agencies in charge of private sector development, including the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture and the National Committee for Public Sector­Private Sector Dialogue; (c) holding of national workshops intended to foster legal reform and private sector growth; and (d) monitoring of the implementation of grant initiatives. Mozambique Capacity Building: Public Sector and Legal Institutions Development Project Credit No. 2437-MZ for US$15.5 million (equivalent) Approved: November 1992 Closed: June 2000 Preparation work for the Legal and Public Sector Capacity Building Project began in 1990, a time when civil war was still raging in Mozambique. The project was approved the same year Peace Accords were signed. Subsequently, the Legal and Public Sector Capacity Building Project's main objective was to build and maintain capacity in key public institutions and skill areas by expanding the supply of well-trained senior planners, policy analysts, managers, and technicians, and by enhancing pay and other incentives - 24 - and conditions of employment for senior civil servants. Specific objectives included: (a) strengthening legal institutions and professional capabilities; and (b) developing public administration and management skills and enhancing civil service personnel systems. The Strengthening Legal Institutions and Training component (US$7.2 million) was implemented under the auspices of a Legal Working Group comprising representatives of each of the five major legal institutions. These were the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Administrative Tribunal, the Attorney General's Office, and the Faculty of Law at Eduardo Mondlane University. Key activities under this component included: (i) the design and implementation of a long-term strategy and action plan to strengthen the legal profession and the judiciary; (ii) improvements in the quality and efficiency of legal services, as well as training for the lawyers and judiciary; (iii) facilitation of the dissemination of the law and the administration of justice through the design of modern automated legal information systems; (iv) upgrading of resources and operations of law libraries; (v) assisting with the legal reform process by providing consulting services, conducting seminars, and preparing legal materials; (vi) assisting with the development of legal institutions, such as the Administrative Tribunal, the Center for Judicial Studies, the Bar Association and the women's law association, MULEIDE; and (vii) strengthening the institutions responsible for project implementation and funding for the Component Management Unit. Mozambique Financial Sector Technical Assistance Project Credit No. 4132-MZ for US$10.5 million (equivalent) Approved: December 2005 Closing Date: June 2011 Recognizing the important role that the financial sector plays in facilitating overall growth, development, and poverty reduction, the Government of Mozambique developed comprehensive institutional, legal, and policy reforms aimed at removing constraints that may affect the efficiency of the sector. Weaknesses in the banking sector--such as limited access to financial services for individuals/private enterprises, high interest rates/transaction costs and limitations in the non-banking financial institutions--were major flaws that needed to be addressed. The Financial Sector Technical Assistance Project was created in conjunction with funding from IDA and other donors to provide support to Mozambique in resolving these issues, thus ultimately maintaining economic growth and channeling the benefits to the poor. The purpose of the Financial Sector Technical Assistance Project is to bring about effective and efficient improvements to all areas of the financial sector that were affecting or had the potential to hinder economic growth and development in Mozambique, and also to assist with poverty reduction. The project has two main components: (i) achieving financial sector development and enhancement of financial sector intermediation, by improving oversight and meeting international standards, improving monetary and foreign exchange management through enhanced transparency, strengthening public debt management, and developing regulations and standards for the non-bank institutions; (ii) improving the lending environment and legal framework by adopting a commercial code and revising the civil code of procedures, simplifying - 25 - judicial procedures, enhancing the scope and reliability of the credit registry, training judges in commercial dispute resolution, reform of the land registry, and market development of public securities. Mozambique Mozambique ­ Beating the Odds: Sustaining Inclusion in a Growing Economy Report No. 40048-MZ; February 1, 2008 This report provides an assessment of poverty's many dimensions in Mozambique and combines multiple disciplines and diagnostic tools to explore poverty. It draws on a combination of approaches from three separate analytical diagnostics developed by the World Bank--Poverty Assessment, Country Gender Assessment, and Country Social Analysis. The assessment used monetary, human, and social indicators and combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to understanding trends in poverty and the dynamics that shape them. The objective of the assessment was to support the development and implementation of truly effective pro-poor policies by taking poverty's many dimensions into account. One government function central to poverty reduction is protection of the rights of citizens by ensuring the poor and vulnerable access to resources to sustain and improve their communities. To that end, the report analyzes, among other things, some of the Government's efforts to increase the transparency and responsiveness of public institutions to provide security to people, households, and communities, and to empower women within the household and community. It is in this context that the impact of the official justice system and the system of community courts on the poor is explored. As land is perhaps the most important resource available to the poor, a discussion of the 1997 national Land Law is also included. Mozambique Public Sector Reform Project IDA Grant No. H0240-MZ for US$10.4 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2003 Closing Date: December 2009 The Public Sector Reform Project, part of a multi-donor support program to Mozambique to improve governance and to reform the public service, was approved by the Board in 2003. In December 2006, this project was restructured to include a US$6.0 million justice component. The project development objective was revised to include improvements in legal and judicial service delivery in selected provinces. Within the restructured project, the Legal Sector Capacity Building component focuses on improving the performance of the sector and the operational efficiency of the court system through targeted interventions in court administration at the appellate and provincial levels to include training, capacity building, and institutional development. The component will help train the newly created positions of court and prosecutorial administrators (administradores judiciais and chefes de serviço, respectively), and pilot these new positions in Mozambique's provincial courts and prosecutorial offices. The component also includes the modernization of the national Judicial Training Center - 26 - (CFJJ). Additional support will be provided through Access to Justice sub-grants for civil society organizations to pilot activities which improve citizens' access to the justice system, as well as to raise awareness of their rights and responsibilities. Innovative pilots are aimed at improving the administration of and access to courts and legal services; further support will be provided for outreach activities to advance the dissemination of legal and judicial information. Niger Promoting the Advancement of the Legal Status of Women IDF Grant (TF No. 27337) for US$390,000 Approved: May 2000 Closed: May 2003 The focus of this IDF grant was to promote the advancement of the legal status of women in Niger by: (a) supporting the Directorate for the Advancement of Women (DGPF) of the Ministry of Social Development, Advancement of Women and Child Protection (MDSPPFPE) through systematic staff skills training for both national and departmental level staff; and (b) supporting the expansion of the outreach of the existing activities of three NGOs, all key actors in legal literacy, and the training of paralegals [parajustices]. Nigeria Capacity Building for the Prevention of Corruption IDF Grant (TF No. 51680) for US$246,000 Approved: October 2002 Closed: December 2005 This grant sought to provide technical assistance to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), a critical agency in Nigeria's efforts to restore the rule of law and fiduciary accountability, so that it could develop a clear strategic focus and gain adequate operational capacity and confidence to lead the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The World Bank contributed to this joint effort through the proposed IDF grant, the central purpose of which was to assist the ICPC with development of a robust anticorruption strategy. It acted in cooperation with civil society stakeholders and other public watchdog agencies to convey lessons learned from the experiences of countries that had established similar anticorruption agencies, along with the difficulties they encountered ensuring effective management of the relevant institutions. - 27 - Nigeria Economic Management Capacity Building Project Credit No. 3345-NI for US$40.0 million (equivalent) Approved: May 2000 Closed: December 2007 In 1999, the Bank resumed its lending program to Nigeria. In the wake of the country's transition from military dictatorship to civilian rule, the Nigerian Government requested assistance from the Bank for the legal sector. In response to this request, a legal and judicial reform (LJR) component was included in the Economic Management Capacity Building Project (EMCAP). The legal and judicial reform component was placed under the leadership and overall supervision of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, with the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute directing the project. A comprehensive legal and judicial reform program for Nigeria was formulated in a participatory manner through stakeholder consultation workshops across the country, with active involvement from a full range of individuals and officials representing a cross-section of Nigeria's polity. Other donors, including the Department for International Development (DFID), the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided additional support for initiatives under the LJR component. Nigeria Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project Credit No. 4219-NI for US$200.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2006 Closing Date: August 2013 The Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project for Nigeria aims to increase sustainable access to basic urban services through investments in critical infrastructure. There are three project components. Component 2, Public Governance and Capacity Building, supports public finance and budget reforms, and the institutionalization of the use of information systems for policy making and performance management. With the transition to civilian rule in 1999, a significant reform agenda was undertaken by the Lagos State Government, transforming the de facto ministry of "law and order" to a ministry of "justice." As such, the Lagos State Government aimed to provide an effective system of legal services for the very poor. It established a Directorate for Citizen's Rights (CRD), the first of its kind in Nigeria. Conceived as a department to collaborate with civil society, the private bar, and other interested parties, it implements policies designed to provide greater access to justice for the financially and otherwise disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of society. The project's Urban Policy and Project Coordination component (US$12.13 million) will finance conflict resolution and strengthening of the capacity of Citizens' Mediation Centers (CMC) and the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), among other things. The CRD will be the focal point for free and quick access to resolution of grievances. - 28 - Nigeria Legal Education Capacity Building Project IDF Grant (TF No. 90219) US$500,000 Approved: June 2007 Closing Date: June 2010 This IDF grant will support the Nigeria Legal Education Council in its efforts to reform its curriculum and teaching methods by introducing new subjects as well as distance learning technologies. More specifically, the objective of the project is to contribute to efforts in enhancing Nigeria's legal environment by strengthening the training program for legal professionals at the Nigerian Law School (NLS). The project consists of the following parts: (a) enhancement of NLS' teaching and management capacity, strengthening of teaching and management capacity by providing support to NLS's efforts to update its curriculum, strengthening of faculty skills and teaching methods, enhancement of the faculty's professional advocacy skills, and improvements to the professional attachment program; (b) enhancement of the management capacity of senior NLS staff; (c) carrying out of a capacity gap assessment of the four NLS campuses; (d) support for the law library; and (e) carrying out of a study on the needs of the legal profession in Nigeria. The project's second component aims to enhance NLS' training and learning environment, by carrying out an information and communication technology (ICT) assessment of the four NLS campuses, and subsequently equipping the four NLS campuses with ICT equipment for video- conferencing, web-casting, and wireless connectivity, as well as training selected personnel in their use, in addition to the acquisition of legal research software. The final component covers the project's financial audit. Nigeria Legal Reform and Legal Aid for the Advancement of Women IDF Grant (TF No. 51431) for US$400,000 Approved: March 2002 Closed: January 2006 This initiative was modeled on projects launched in 13 other African countries, such as the one implemented in Ghana outlined above. As in many other countries in the region, the number of female-headed households and of HIV/AIDS orphans means that the legal status and rights of women need to be actively promoted in any program aimed at providing legal assistance to the poor and socially vulnerable. The objective of the project was to support efforts, from both the Government and civil society, to launch a legal reform process that would improve gender equality and establish a supportive intuitional environment by reforming institutions to establish equal rights and opportunities for women and men, fostering incentives for more equal resources and participation, and addressing disparities in access to resources. The grant supported three main activities: (a) strengthening the capacity of the National Centre for Women's Development; (b) strengthening the capacity of the Legal - 29 - Affairs Division of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Youth Development to support their leadership; and (c) developing a more comprehensive approach to legal aid. Nigeria State Government and Capacity Building Project Credit No. 4084-NI for US$18.1 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2005 Closing Date: March 2010 In 2003, elections held in Nigeria marked the first time in over forty years that a transition between two civilian governments occurred through a fair election process. Following these elections, the Government of Nigeria announced ambitious and comprehensive reforms aimed at stimulating economic growth, creating employment opportunities, reducing poverty, and becoming more transparent and accountable in the management of public resources. The National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) was established in order to meet these objectives by: (i) promoting macroeconomic stability; (ii) accelerating privatization and liberalization of the economy; (iii) reforming the public service, including reforming public expenditure, budget and civil service; (iv) fighting corruption, improving government transparency and accountability; and (v) strengthening basic service delivery. The purpose of this project is to support NEEDS at the state level in order for the many states of Nigeria to overcome serious institutional capacity constraints. It was developed in response to state governments that desired improvements in governance and inter-governmental relations. The project has two main components: (i) the Core Reform Program (CRP) aimed at improving the development and implementation of public policies and programs; and (ii) state-specific reform programs, which support reforms not included in CRP but which promote improvements in governance and service delivery. Under the state-specific reform programs, the Cross River State has selected activities for project financing to improve judicial service delivery through: (i) revision of the rules of civil procedure applicable in Magistrate courts and High Courts in CRS; (ii) a comprehensive skills development program for judicial and administrative officers of the High Courts and Magistrate Courts; and (iii) implementation of a model court administration system in two pilot courts (one Magistrate Court and one High Court). Rwanda Institutional Strengthening Initiative for the Legal Advancement of Women IDF Grant (TF No. 50066) for US$400,000 Approved: June 2001 Closed: October 2005 In response to the legal inequities that women face in Rwanda, the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development (MIGEPROFE) developed a Plan for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Government has also developed a Legal Action Reform Plan--a roadmap for gender-responsive legal reform. The purpose of this grant was to support the efforts of the Government and civil society - 30 - of Rwanda to launch the gender-responsive legal reform process as defined in the Legal Action Reform Plan. The grant supported four main activities: (a) institutional strengthening and capacity building for the MIGEPROFE; (b) training for MIGEPROFE staff and selected non-governmental organizations at the central and regional levels; (c) the development of training materials and dissemination of legal information through literacy and communication campaigns; and (d) coordination, monitoring and evaluation of grant- assisted activities. São Tomé and Príncipe Capacity Building for the Justice Sector IDF Grant (TF No. 54648) for US$326,000 Approved: January 2005 Closed: January 2008 São Tomé and Príncipe is categorized as a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC)--more than half the country's 140,000 people currently live under the poverty level. Since 1991, São Tomé and Príncipe has enjoyed a democratic political system, albeit one that has been marked by instability and administrative deadlock. The country is currently at the cusp of a major economic change, with prospective offshore oil production. The project's objective was to work with the three sector institutions--the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Attorney General's Office--to build capacity for strategic planning, to better coordinate reforms and manage information within the sector, and to leverage the country's resources to create a consensus for those reforms that can be undertaken in three years. The grant financed a diagnostic study of the sector and its main problems, and also provided technical assistance in the first round of judicial inspections for sitting first instance judges and prosecutors. Sierra Leone Developing a Model for Delivering Justice Services Project JSDF Grant (TF No. 57251) for US$879,436 Approved: October 2006 Closed: October 2010 This grant seeks to establish a model for the provision of various justice services by: (i) improving the ability of Sierra Leone's poor to access institutions of law and government (both customary and formal); (ii) increasing the accountability of institutions of customary and formal law and government to their constituents; (iii) decreasing impunity of those who violate basic rights and freedoms; and (iv) provide practical, concrete and creative solutions and remedies to injustices to which poor Sierra Leoneans face. The project is being implemented by the non-governmental organization TIMAP for Justice. - 31 - South Africa University of Pretoria Faculty of Law IDF Grant (TF No. 90558) for US$498,000 Approved: April 2008 Closing Date: June 2010 Improving access to information is a central strategy of the World Bank's Africa Action Plan (AAP) and the Bank's implementation framework under the Capacity Development Management Plan (CDMAP). As the Plans note, drivers of growth in Africa are impeded by difficult access to information. As a result, the Bank has sought to increase assistance to Africa to improve access to information by providing support to Parliaments, audit institutions, NGOs, local governments, and community organizations. The grant's two objectives are to: (i) expand the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Law's Regional Comparative Law Knowledge Network; and (ii) enhance the capacity of the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Law to develop a comprehensive, contemporary and internationally accessible collection of primary African legal information. The project's activities include: (a) support for the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law's efforts to strengthen its regional legal research, training programs, and information dissemination capacity (b) enhancement of the Africa Legal Information Collection to establish within the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law the capacity to develop and expand an internationally accessible collection of legal information specific to Africa; (c) development of a comprehensive strategy to build a regional legal information collection, including Internet-accessible tools through a legal information database. To that end, capacity needs assessments will be carried out and twinning agreements will be signed with other national law faculties throughout Africa, allowing for comparative law research and regional workshops. Sudan Capacity Building of the National Judiciary Multi-Donor TF No. 56393 for US$13.0 million (equivalent) Approved: August 2006 Closing Date: June 2009 With the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the adoption of the Interim National Constitution (INC), Sudan entered an important transitional phase in which legal and judicial reform play a critical role in promoting sustainable peace, translating the principles and promises of the Peace Agreement and Interim National Constitution into tangible realities in post-conflict Sudan. In order to implement the CPA and effectuate the mandate of the INC--including the establishment of the National Judicial Service Commission (NJSC)--significant work must be done to embolden the judiciary's legal, technical, and operational competence. To that end, the objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the judiciary to enhance its independence; build the knowledge base of judges; and, empower the judiciary to effectively and fairly apply the law and deliver justice. The project's components include (a) support to the National Judicial Service Commission (NJSC) to build capacity in order to manage an independent and decentralized judicial system; (b) - 32 - judicial training at the central and state levels; (c) establishment of the National Legal Training and Resource Center and rehabilitation of the judiciary's existing training facility; and (d) rehabilitation of court facilities in selected areas. Sudan Southern Sudan Justice Support Project Multi-Donor TF No. 57732 for US$5.3 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2007 Closing Date: December 2009 The Interim National Constitution of the Republic of Sudan delegated the lion's share of policing responsibilities in Southern Sudan to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). To meet its constitutional obligation, the Government of Southern Sudan faced the challenge of rebuilding from the ground up the entire police and prison system, which had virtually ceased to function during the 22-year conflict. The former network of police stations, prisons, and infrastructure covering its territory was neglected and in many parts destroyed. This weakness in law enforcement created a liability for the future of peace and development in Southern Sudan as the disarmament of a highly militarized society and the demobilization of ex-combatants and militias are unlikely to take place in the absence of strict rule of law. To complement the efforts by the international community to upgrade the professional skills of Southern Sudan police and prisons personnel, the project's objective was to substantially increase the capacity of the Police and Prison Services to deliver professional services across Southern Sudan. It sought to complement the Government of Southern Sudan and other international efforts to upgrade the professional skills of the Police and Prisons Services. The project's main activities included: (a) building and equipping a sizable portion of the future network of police stations and state central prisons; (b) organizing and codifying the professional workplace by developing Books of Rules and Codes of Conduct; (c) building and equipping decentralized training facilities across Southern Sudan; (d) developing a long-term strategy for training, including preparation for Training Academies; and (e) promoting inmate care and treatment programs. Tanzania Accountability, Transparency and Integrity Program Loan 4171-TZ for US$40.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2003 Closing Date: December 2011 This project aims to build on the outcomes realized through the Financial and Legal Management Upgrading Project (see below) and address some of the key issues identified as bottlenecks to enhanced growth of the economy of Tanzania. The project is built on findings from a comprehensive anticorruption mission undertaken by the Bank in February 1998, at the request of the Tanzanian Government. The mission highlighted the need for more effective and sustainable systems of governance. - 33 - The objective of the Accountability, Transparency and Integrity Program is to support the implementation of Tanzania's strategic framework of good governance. The program aims to improve the impact of development programs on the poor by enhancing the quality of governance. The project has four main components: (a) strengthening the legal and judicial system by modernizing the legal and regulatory framework, strengthening judicial independence, improving management and coordination of legal sector institutions, building competence, motivation and integrity of personnel, improving pre-service training of legal professionals, enabling access to justice for the poor and the disadvantaged, and improving the work environment for legal and judicial officers; (b) enhancing public financial accountability by developing an effective and transparent public procurement system, undertaking an internal audit system, establishing an independent Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, enhancing professional standards, and strengthening records management and information dissemination systems; (c) strengthening oversight and watchdog institutions (OWIs); and (d) improving program management and coordination by providing technical assistance to the project implementation unit, and improving monitoring and evaluation. Tanzania Capacity Building to Promote Gender-Responsive Legal Literacy & Legal Aid IDF Grant (TF No. 52911) for US$488,000 Approved: December 2003 Closed: December 2006 In Tanzania, the policy framework for gender-mainstreaming is characterized by the National Strategy for Gender Development (draft, 2003) and ­with respect to the legal dimension- the Legal Sector Reform Program 2000-2005. Despite these policies, women's associations, NGOs and others highlighted the need for consistent treatment and addressing gender barriers in Tanzania. This was further highlighted during the consultative processes which led to the World Bank -funded Poverty Assessment, Voices of the Poor, Poverty and Social Capital in Tanzania ESSD Studies and Monographs Series n.20, 1997). The findings were further corroborated by the UNDP-funded Poverty Assessment in Shinyanga (1997). The purpose of the grant was to provide assistance to the Government of Tanzania to promote gender-responsive legal reform by providing the institutional and capacity building support needed, through (i) enhancing dialogue and partnership between the Government and civil society; (ii) joint training for key staff from the Government and civil society; (iii) strengthening and expansion of legal literacy education and legal aid initiatives; and (iv) joint evaluation of the activities by the Tanzanian Government and civil society. - 34 - Tanzania Financial and Legal Management Upgrading Project Credit No. 2413-TA for US$20 million (equivalent) Approved July 1992 Closed: June 2000 The objective of the Financial and Legal Management Upgrading Project was to strengthen the institutional and organizational infrastructure of the new open market economy in Tanzania that had emerged under the Government's Economic Recovery Program of the mid-1980s. The legal component of the project had two main subcomponents: (a) capacity building in key organizations such as the judiciary and the Attorney General's Office by providing training, equipment, and resources; and (b) undertaking a systematic policy review of the key strategic issues facing the sector over the medium and long term. The project, overall, was successfully implemented. Technical equipment and information resources were supplied to the High Court, the Attorney General's Office, and the Law Reform Commission, all of which previously lacked adequate information technology and law library systems. The project supported the revision of a number of laws dating back to 1965, the updating of Case Law Reports from 1983, and a review of commercial and related laws. The Tanzania Law Reports 1983­1992 for the High Court and the Court of Appeal were published in book and CD-ROM formats in May 1998, with the intention by the Government to produce CD-ROMs to bring publication up to date. Training was undertaken in subjects as diverse as judicial administration, white- collar crime, fraud and corruption prevention, legislative drafting, capital markets, and word processing. More than 1,100 Tanzanian officials received training, including 600 primary court magistrates. The project also supported the work of the Legal Sector Reform Task Force (LSRTF), a group of Tanzanian legal experts that undertook a series of studies on particular issues such as legal aid, the dissemination of legal information, legal education, and the administration of justice. The report of the LSRTF was issued in 1996 and led to the Government's Legal Sector Reform Program, Medium-Term Strategy and Action Plan, 2000­2005, launched in December 1999. Tanzania Legal Sector Building IDF Grant (TF No. 24906) for US$373,000 Approved: September 2000 Closed: May 2002 The purpose of this grant was to support the capacity-building efforts of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MJCA) and to provide assistance with the management and implementation of its legal sector reform program. The grant supported four main activities: (a) strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Justice by improving program management and coordination, enhancing education and communication, and strengthening the management and coordination of reforms; (b) implementing change management training for local staff and study tours for - 35 - the project Steering Committee in countries where major changes in legal systems have been successfully introduced; (c) running consultative workshops for stakeholders in the legal reform process; and (d) designing public awareness activities as a means of stimulating the reform process and educating the public on the changes taking place in the legal sector. Under the project's public awareness component, training for designing and producing print and audio-visual materials was provided and initial costs for the production and broadcasting of radio and television programs on key topics in legal sector reform were covered. Tanzania Private Sector Competitiveness Project Credit No. 4136-TA for US$95.0 million (equivalent) Approved: December 2005 Closing Date: June 2012 The Business Environment Strengthening in Tanzania (BEST) Program is implemented under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Tanzania, the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, DANIDA, DFID, Government of Netherlands, SIDA and the World Bank. BEST is a cross cutting reform program which is designed to reduce the burden on, and improve service to, the private sector through carefully targeted interventions within the government and to the Judiciary. The Commercial Law and Justice Reform component entails: (a) review, modernization and dissemination of selected commercial laws and regulations, (b) development and carrying out of commercial law and dispute resolution training programs for legal professionals in private, public and judicial practice, (c) support to priority court system reform measures, including review and revision of the Civil Procedure Code and other related legislation, establishment and operation of on-line legal and databases, development of information technologies, upgrading the skills of law librarians, streamlining of case law reporting, training magistrates and court staff, and improvement of court registry systems, and (d) training private companies in corporate governance standards and conduct. The activities relating to revision of Civil Procedure Code and other related legislation, as well as the Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) sub-component are now under implementation. The objective of the CDR to reduce the complexity, cost and time taken to process and resolve commercial disputes. The intended beneficiaries are small and medium sized enterprises although, in reality, all users of the civil courts will benefit from the proposed reforms. The CDR component is divided into seven broad outcomes with specific outputs and activities to be carried out over an implementation period of six years (2006-2012). These outcomes include: (a) enhance access to the commercial court, (b) more effective civil procedure and enforcement measures through reforms to the civil procedure framework, (c) support for civil procedure reforms in the Judiciary, (d) enhance alternative dispute resolution, (e) establish a commercial law continuing legal education program, (e) enhance corporate governance, and (f) enhance the country's commercial legal framework. - 36 - Togo Institutional Strengthening of the Directorate for the Advancement of Women to Support Empowerment of Women in Togo IDF Grant (TF No. 27253) for $264,000 Approved: February 1999 Closing Date: July 2002 The IDF Grant aimed to provide technical and financial support for: (i) institutional strengthening to the Directorate for the Advancement of Women in order to strengthen its capacity to carry out the initiatives outlines in the National Policy Document for the Advancement of Women (1997) and the National Action Plan for the period 1997-2001; (ii) revitalization of the institutional capacity of the Directorate for the Advancement of Women particularly regarding its role in the coordination of government initiatives and the facilitation of the civil society aimed at advancing the legal status of women, which the Directorate considered a key activity to fulfill its mandate; (iii) strengthening the capacity of four local NGOs by strengthening by expanding their coverage of certain activities such as legal assistance and legal literacy. Uganda Anti-Corruption Capacity Building IDF Grant (TF No. 27397) for US$221,000 Approved: January 2001 Closed: January 2004 For the better part of its 38 years of independence, Uganda has suffered devastating political instability and civil strife. This has resulted in deteriorated economic, social, and political standards, bringing about the erosion of values, morals, and ethical standards and leading to rampant corruption. In the past, anticorruption initiatives have been hampered by inadequate institutional capacity and poor policy and legal frameworks, ill-equipped to reign in corruption. However, following a June 1999 World Bank course on controlling corruption, the Ugandan Department of Ethics and Integrity (DEI) began working toward developing an integrated strategy to fight corruption and initiated a judicial commission of inquiry into corruption in the police force. The grant was developed based on DEI's three year action plan; the overall objective of the grant was to sharpen DEI officers' skills and widen their experience through specialist training and learning from similar well established organizations. The activities financed under the grant included: (a) specialized training in ethics, integrity and skills ethical decision-making and combating and preventing corruption; (b) study tours of well established anti-corruption agencies; (c) an analysis of the existing ethics system in Uganda; (d) capacity building in the information management division of the DEI to improve its overall interaction with the public; and (e) public awareness campaigns on anti-corruption. - 37 - Uganda Gender-Sensitive Legal Literacy for Councilors IDF Grant (TF No. 27204) for US$302,000 Approved: May 1998 Closed: June 2000 In 1995, the Government of Uganda promulgated its Constitution, which highlighted the commitment of the Government and the people of Uganda to good governance, respect for human rights, and the rule of the law. The national objectives and directive principles of state policy advocated gender-sensitive development, devolution of government functions, and equal participation of both men and women in national development. The Government adopted and launched a National Gender Policy in 1997 that required gender mainstreaming in every sector and at all levels of decision making. In the same year, the Local Governments Act was passed, putting into effect the decentralization and devolution of functions, powers and services. This Act provided for decentralization at all levels of local government to ensure good governance and democratic participation in and control of decision making by the people. The Government of Uganda also initiated an ambitious training and capacity building program for newly elected local councilors, emphasizing the need for legal literacy training, including an understanding of the progressive provision set forth in the 1995 Constitution and 1997 Local Government Act. It was in this setting that the IDF proposal was prepared. Activities under the grant included (a) conducting an assessment of training needs at different levels of local councils; (b) developing and translating gender-sensitive legal literacy training materials; (c) developing, translating, and disseminating materials outlining progressive provisions of the laws in user-friendly materials; district training for councilors; producing radio programs on legal rights; and monitoring and evaluating project activities. Uganda Second Private Sector Competitiveness Project Credit No. 3975-UG for US$70.0 million (equivalent) Approved: September 2004 Closing Date: July 2010 Given increasing levels of income poverty, and the limited scope of support to the private sector, the Government of Uganda and private sector stakeholders requested the World Bank's assistance in implementing its reform agenda. The overall objective of the project is to create sustainable conditions for enterprise creation and growth that responds to local and export markets. The project, which will reduce the cost of doing business and encourage investment, seeks to enable the private sector to be better positioned to respond to opportunities in specific categories of the market. Furthermore, the project seeks to increase the number of formal enterprises, the number of people employed and the number of skilled employees leading to an increase in output per worker. The US$26.0 million (equivalent) component for improving the business environment is indicated to support, among other things, activities for: (a) strengthening business registration process, and (b) strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Justice - 38 - and Constitutional Affairs, and the Law Reform Commission for implementing commercial legal reform process. Toward that end, specific support to the Law Reform Commission includes: (a) revision and drafting of laws relating to business, financial services, and exports, and intellectual property law. The component is also supporting coordination of commercial law reform activities. REGIONAL ACTIVITIES Justice for the Poor Initiative BNPP Grant (TF No. 56558) for US$450,000 Approved: April 2006 Closing Date: December 2009 The Justice for the Poor grant aims to help inform and then evaluate new and innovative approaches to local justice system reform in Sub-Saharan Africa by (a) building an empirically based understanding of the dynamics of local and/or customary law systems and how the poor navigate (and/or are excluded from) these systems; (b) creating a knowledge base about the effects that multiple systems have on the nature and accessibility of local justice and how incompatibilities between state and non-state justice systems have been addressed; (c) assessing the effects of local justice initiatives on the dynamics of local claims, disputes, and decision-making processes and on the interaction between local and state systems; (d) developing innovative initiatives that can improve the quality and accountability of local justice systems, enhance compatibility between state and non-state systems, and improve people's access to these systems; The grant also aims to enhance local research capacity and encourage evidence- based policy reform, as well as strengthen community participation and engagement in reform initiatives. In the global and regional contexts it is envisaged that the grant will inform a comparative knowledge base about the dynamics of local-level justice and the interaction between state and non-state systems that will inform new and innovative approaches to justice sector reform more generally. Field work in both Sierra Leone and Kenya has begun in partnership with two NGOs" the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) of Sierra Leone and the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) of Kenya. Some initial findings can be found on the Justice for the Poor website at (www.worldbank.org/justiceforthepoor). Managing the Politics of Africa's Rule of Law and Anticorruption Reforms: Looking Ahead Norwegian Grant (TF No. 92754) for $430,000 Approved: September 2008 Closing Date: June 2010 The Grant will develop a strategy for justice sector reform and related anti- corruption efforts in the Africa Region, by: (1) building an information base on past experience, client needs and demands, and obstacles to meeting them through: (i) a stocktaking of justice sector reform operations as catalogued by the Capacity - 39 - Development Management Action Plan (CDMAP); (ii) a review of relevant diagnostic work from the World Bank, other donors, and academic sources; and (iii) a series of consultations with the World Bank staff, other donors, and in-country stakeholders; and (2) producing, on the basis of the aforementioned information, and vetting through second stage of in-country consultations: (i) an analysis on the political economy of justice reforms in the region; (ii) a draft strategic framework for future Bank work grounded in the prior steps and based on the Bank's strategic directions and priorities; and (iii) a series of candidate indicators applicable to justice sector projects. OHADA Institutional Capacity Building Project IDF Grant (TF No. 53695) for US$483,000 Approved: July 2004 Closed: July 2007 In October 2003, the OHADA Treaty was signed by 16 West African countries,26 and the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) joined in supporting implementation of the adoption of the OHADA Uniform Laws. The Bank designed a grant to assist OHADA member states with the: (i) identification of issues, roadblocks, and bottlenecks that hinder the implementation of OHADA's Uniform Laws; (ii) identification of specific actions for implementation of the laws; and (iii) identification of key activities for institutional strengthening to ensure sustainable capacity building of OHADA's Permanent Secretariat, located in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The grant also financed the hiring of a legal advisor to the OHADA Permanent Secretariat. Two regional workshops were to be held, presenting the findings of a survey of needs amongst the OHADA signatory states. The findings of this survey were used in the creation of a number of technical working papers to address capacity gaps in member states. 26 The OHADA Treaty was signed in October 2003 in Port Louis, Mauritius. The signatories to this treaty are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. (OHADA-"Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa") - 40 - EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION Judicial reforms in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region are one part of a broad movement to strengthen governance, accountability, and credibility in key public institutions across government and society in the region's countries. This movement started after the 1997 East Asian financial crisis, as governments and donors began focusing greater attention on strengthening core institutions of accountability, including the judiciary. The Bank has worked to support this movement and to maximize its impact on the ground. In addition to strengthening courts, Bank projects in the justice sector also include assistance to countries in combating corruption and in legal and institutional aspects of financial sector reform. Justice-related grants in the region focus on, inter alia, issues such as assisting countries with labor law education of women, improving rural land tenure systems, providing legal aid in post-disaster situations such as the 2004 Tsunami, establishing mediation services, and assisting in the transition to a market economy. The Bank has been supporting justice initiatives undertaken by countries in the region for more than a decade through a variety of lending and other instruments. A total of US$157.2 million in assistance was provided from 2003-200827, comprising US$41.9 million in stand-alone loans and credits for justice sector activities and another US$6.5 million in grants. Cambodia Rule of Law Development: Labor Law Education of Women IDF Grant (TF No. 27211) for US$470,700 Approved: June 1998 Closed: June 2001 After decades of war, destruction, and central planning, Cambodia began building a democratic constitutional monarchy and a market-oriented economy in the early 1990s. In the process, Cambodia started to rebuild its society and reestablish the rule of law. A major element of this effort was the reform of the legal system. A new Labor Law enacted in 1997 made substantial changes to the pre-existing 1992 labor law, which has significance not only for internal reform but also for the attainment of basic labor standards that were essential for trade privileges granted to Cambodia under bilateral arrangements. The objective of the grant was to support the development of laws and regulations pertaining to the rights of women and children, particularly in relation to labor and education. The grant had four main components: (a) preparing training materials, including (i) designing a textbook, student workbook, and judge's bench book and (ii) developing training pamphlets and other materials on existing labor legislation and 27 World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review, pg. 37. - 41 - regulations; (b) developing training in labor law and employment-related issues for labor inspectors, judges, women's vocational-training-center managers, officials, employers and employees, women's groups, students, and educational inspectors; (c) developing a pilot program for dispute resolution between women workers and their employers in Phnom Penh, which could later be replicated in other parts of Cambodia; and (d) developing forums for the empowerment and promotion of labor rights for women and children. China Economic Law Reform Project Credit No. 2654-CN for US$10.0 million (equivalent) Approved: October 1994 Closed: June 2004 The Economic Law Reform Project in China provided support for the reform of China's legal system as it moved to a market economy. It grew out of several years of systemic analysis of the legal framework for China's transition to a market economy, and its importance heightened with China's accession to the World Trade Organization. The dialogue between the Bank and Chinese legal officials began as far back as 1989, with legal aspects included in Bank-supported technical assistance on enterprise reforms. Project preparation included discussions with other donors and Chinese legal officials on the Chinese legal agenda. Consultations with Chinese legal academics and brainstorming sessions in Washington with premier foreign scholars of the Chinese legal system further informed the process. The project had three main components: (a) strengthening the legislative process, including (i) preparing laws and regulations included in the legislative agenda of the National People's Congress and the State Council and (ii) enhancing the skills of local drafters through knowledge-sharing and education; (b) training; and (c) institutional strengthening of key agencies such as the legal offices of the legislature and the executive and the Ministry of Justice. China Rural Land Contracting Law Project IDF Grant (TF No. 52047) for US$400,000 Approved: January 2003 Closed: April 2006 By the early 1990s, China had undertaken a series of legal and policy reforms intended to provide secure 30-year land use rights to its nearly 210 million rural households. The World Bank approved a request submitted by the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC) in November 1999 to assist China's central government in the development and implementation of legislative reforms to China's rural land tenure system. This grant was developed to support the efforts of the Development Research Center of the State Council in its ongoing assistance to China's central government in the implementation of legislative and policy reforms and the development of supporting - 42 - institutions related to rural land tenure. The following activities were financed under the grant: (a) a pilot demonstration on the development of subsidiary legislation through the drafting of implementing regulations for the rural land-contracting law; (b) the implementation of the rural contracting law; (c) the development of institutions supporting rural land tenure reforms, including courts and other avenues of conflict resolution; (d) the training of local officials with respect to rural land tenure laws and policies; (e) the assessment of the implementation of the Rural Land Contracting Law on agricultural reform objectives; and (f) the establishment of regularized, effective channels for policy input. Indonesia Combating Corruption in Indonesia28 Report No. 27246-IND; November 13, 2003 This report is an initial outcome of an ongoing process of rethinking and learning by the Bank on issues of accountability and corruption in Indonesia. In the aftermath of the financial crisis and related political upheaval, the Bank revisited its strategy toward the country. The report builds on a comprehensive set of diagnostic assessments and reviews some of the main areas where corruption breeds: public expenditure and financial management systems, procurement, intergovernmental fiscal relations, the financial sector, forestry and infrastructure, the justice sector, and the civil service. It also attempts to distill from studies the key lessons learned about corruption and accountability, in order to better understand how corruption works in particular sectors and processes. The central question examined is why public accountability fails so often. After analyzing the context in which anticorruption efforts must operate in Indonesia, the report focuses first on three areas of corruption: the budget, local governments, and the government's regulatory functions in selected sectors--banking, electricity, and forestry. It then looks at the justice sector--the police, the prosecutors, the courts, and the Indonesian civil service. Finally, it analyzes how donors are responding to the challenge of corruption, drawing primarily on the Bank's own experience. Indonesia Corruption and Legal Reform Multi-Donor Trust Fund (TF No. 54312) for US$350,000 Approved: November 2004 Closed: August 2006 The purpose of the grant was to support the Government in its efforts to maintain an effective Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) with the technical capacity and institutional integrity to exercise its full mandate transparently and with due diligence. The grant activities included: (a) identification of training needs and regional on- the-job training options and arrangements through the provision of advisory services; (b) 28 . World Bank, "Indonesia: Combating Corruption in Indonesia--Enhancing accountability for development," November 11, 2003, http://www.wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK= =64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&site Name=WDS&entityID=000012009_20031125111638. - 43 - provision of training to the KPK staff through targeted and tailor-made programs and study tours and exchange programs in relevant institutions abroad, so that staff members would gain new skills and apply these in their respective assignments and areas of responsibility; and (c) development of a comprehensive human resource development plan to encompass training needs identified directly by the KPK senior management, through the provision of advisory services and training. Indonesia Enhancing Demand for Legal and Judicial Reform BNPP Grant (TF No. 90064) for US$593,000 Approved: August 1998 Closed: September 2008 The scale of reform and significant donor investment in Indonesia since the end of the New Order era brought about promising institutional changes. However, bringing access to justice closer to the people of Indonesia required sustained efforts. Public suspicion toward the formal legal system was widespread, leading to a preference for informal justice delivery systems. This suspicion also had a negative impact on local governance and economic development. This program was intended to develop an integrated model of demand-driven legal and judicial reform. It supported three distinct elements of society that articulate and push for reform, namely: (a) the collective voice of the business community, which sees legal reform as a key component of improving the investment climate; (b) supporters of reform within the legal profession that want to enhance integrity and respectability within their sector; and (c) poor and disadvantaged members of the community that seek justice through the legal system. The grant's objective was to improve the operation of the judiciary, enhance the resolution of investment and business disputes, and increase access to justice, particularly for the poor. The grant provided technical assistance; supported analytical and policy work on justice reform; developed pilots to support legal empowerment and trial approaches to be scaled up through national poverty programs; supported the consolidation of reformers' groups in the legal and business communities; and also supported the development of a three-year proposal that will combine Justice for the Poor and other reform groups in a strategic partnership with the UNDP and the University of Leiden to enhance demand for legal and judicial reform. Korea Financial and Corporate Restructuring Assistance Project Loan No. 4385-KO for US$48.0 million Approved: August 1998 Closed: June 2002 The objective of the Financial and Corporate Restructuring Assistance Project was to provide technical assistance to support reforms in Korea's financial and corporate sectors and provide a basis for sustained and stable growth. The overall project - 44 - comprised six main components, one of which focused on legal and regulatory reform of the corporate insolvency system and the corporate governance framework. The objective of the legal and regulatory reform component was to build a reliable corporate insolvency system that ensured a balance of stakeholder interests. The component had the following subcomponents: (a) strengthening incentives for creditors and debtors to negotiate debt agreements; (b) improving the capacity of the courts to assess the potential viability of distressed corporations and to oversee corporate reorganizations; (c) evaluating the benefits of establishing bankruptcy courts; (d) training judges, officials, and insolvency practitioners on reforming the insolvency system; (e) improving the principal laws concerned with corporate insolvency; and (f) increasing public awareness of the benefits of a reliable and credible insolvency system. The project's main activities supported a diagnostic review of the corporate insolvency system; a revision of insolvency laws establishing bankruptcy courts; a training program for judges, officials, and insolvency practitioners; and the dissemination of information to the public about the insolvency system. A comparative international analysis of corporate governance standards and practices was also undertaken. This study led to the enactment of legislation in July 2001 to raise minority shareholder protections and strengthen corporate boards. Finally, a proposal for the incorporation of judicial reform as part of the Korean longer-term economic law reform strategy is being developed. Mongolia Enhanced Justice Services Project Credit No. 4493-MOG, Grant IDA H4130 for US$5.0 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2008 Closing Date: December 2012 The Mongolian Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs (MOJHA) and the judiciary have led efforts to meet the objectives of the justice sector's strategic plan, with assistance from several donors. The implementation of this strategic plan was reviewed by MOJHA in September 2006. MOJHA established an independent working group in 2007 to evaluate the impact of Bank's earlier Legal and Judicial Reform Project (Cr. 3595-MOG) and offer recommendations for future assistance. The working group commented on the importance of comprehensive public and legal education and the need to continue to improve both the information technology and physical infrastructures of the Supreme Court and the Court Enforcement Agency. Concurrently in 2007, the Ih Hural also completed the preparation of the Millennium Development Goals-Based National Development Strategy (NDS), in which the concepts of law, justice, and human rights figure prominently. Most notably, the NDS lists strengthening government institutions and improving the legal environment to ensure transparency and accessibility of public services. In response to both initiatives, the justice sector will soon initiate activities under the leadership of MOJHA to prepare a new strategic plan for the years 2009 to 2012 in order to meet all new proposed development actions and effectively channel and coordinate new donor activities. The project's development objective is to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of justice sector institutions. The following areas will be supported - 45 - under the proposed project: (a) enhancing public legal education on the justice sector, (b) increasing transparency through improved access to legal information, and (c) enhancing judicial operations, enforcement, and monitoring of court decisions. The key indicators that will be used to measure success are the following: (a) information on the enforcement of court decisions is available and shared between the Court Enforcement Agency and the General Council of Courts; (b) discrepancies between statistical information provided by Court Enforcement Agency and General Council of Courts is shared and reduced; and (c) improvement in the overall enforcement of court decisions. Mongolia Legal and Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 3595-MOG for US$5.0 million (equivalent) Approved: December 2001 Closed: April 2008 In 1998, the Ih Hural (parliament) of Mongolia committed to implementing a Legal Reform Program. The following year, the Bank financed a Legal Needs Assessment for Mongolia, which identified three main priorities for the sector: (a) creating a legal environment conducive to private sector development and a market economy, (b) enhancing the protection of human rights, and (c) improving legal education and public awareness. Based on this assessment, the Ih Hural adopted a strategic plan for the justice system of Mongolia in May 2000. The objective of the Legal and Judicial Reform Project was to promote a more transparent, equitable, accessible, and effective legal and judicial system. The project had three main components: (a) establishing an administrative court system, (b) building capacity for a unified system of legal and judicial information, and (c) improving legal education and professional standards. Mongolia Standardization of Public Administrative Regulations IDF Grant (TF No. 56065) for US$295,000 Approved: November 2005 Closing Date: June 2009 Mongolia's Ih Hural (Parliament) adopted a (national) Legal Reform Program in 1998 by resolution. Among the Reform Program's key objectives were, inter alia, the creation of the legal basis and favorable environment for economic development and the perfection of the legal basis of the state structure. Despite the Government's significant efforts to develop its laws and to contribute to the development of a clear, well-organized and less bureaucratic system, most of the laws developed lacked the appropriate and crucial regulations. The Grant was designed to support the Mongolian Ministry of Justice and strengthen its Technical Working Group on Administrative Regulation Development and Standardization. The main objective of the grant is to support the Ministry of - 46 - Justice's efforts to develop and adopt more transparent, more effective, and less discretionary administrative regulations for selected ministries and government agencies. The Grant is comprised of four separate components. The first component consists of technical assistance to the Ministry of Justice in collecting, reviewing, classifying and harmonizing ­ by topics--the various regulations issued by Ministries and Government agencies. This includes the scanning and electronic filing of approximately 2,500 regulations for purposes of comparison and streamlining. The second component entails the development and implementation of transparent, precise and non-discretionary regulations and procedures through the creation of a computerized administration and regulatory database. The third component consists of a public education and information program designed to improve access to information on the new framework and information sources for legal professionals and the general public. The final component consists of a project evaluation and the development of a follow-up plan. Philippines Judicial Reform Support Project Loan No. 7191-PH for US$21.9 million (equivalent) Approved August 2003 Closing Date: December 2009 In 1999, the Philippine judiciary received a Policy and Human Resources Development Fund Grant to study the court system and make recommendations for improvements. Six key challenges were identified: (a) delays in the delivery of justice and challenges with access to justice, (b) widespread perception of corruption, (c) ineffective administrative structures and operating systems, (d) deficient court technologies and facilities, (e) inadequate human resource strategies, and (f) a lack of public information and collaboration with civil society. In response to these findings, the Philippine Supreme Court published its Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR) in November 2000. The APJR set out a comprehensive plan for reforming the courts and requested assistance from the Bank for its implementation. The Bank's project is intended to support discrete components of the government's APJR. Responsibility for the coordination of the project and the overall ARJR lies with the Philippine judiciary under the leadership of the Chief Justice and the direction of an Executive Committee of the AJPR. The objective of the Judicial Reform Support Project is to support the development of an accessible judicial system that fosters public trust and confidence. By improving the delivery of justice, the project also aims to increase business confidence and enhance economic growth. The project has four main components: (a) improving case adjudication and access to justice by (i) enhancing case-management techniques and (ii) upgrading information and communication systems; (b) enhancing institutional integrity by (i) strengthening the codes of ethics for judges, lawyers, and court personnel, (ii) implementing a computerized Judicial Performance Management System, (iii) developing a gender-sensitive human resources strategy for nonjudicial personnel, and (iv) enhancing the role and capacity of the Philippine Judicial Academy; (c) - 47 - strengthening the institutional capacity of the Judiciary by (i) installing computer-based financial and administrative systems, (ii) developing model court facilities, and (iii) supporting ongoing policy, research, and development strategies; and (d) ensuring stakeholder support for the reform process by enabling the participation of judges and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of key reform activities. Thailand Financial Sector Implementation Assistance Project Loan No. 4233-TH for US$15.0 million Approved: September 1997 Closed: September 2003 As part of the Financial Sector Implementation Assistance Project, the Government of Thailand committed to a program of economics law reform. The objective of the reform was to strengthen Thailand's institutional framework for strategic coordination in economic law reform. The initiative, coordinated by the Economic Law Development Institute of the Council of State, aimed to improve the country's capacity for consensus-based consultative processes in the development of new laws and the implementation or adaptation of existing laws and dispute resolution processes. The economic-law reform component made up almost a third of the budget for the overall project. The component comprised three subcomponents: (a) developing a National Advisory Committee for Coordination of Economic Law Reform to (i) serve as a mechanism for leadership and the strategic coordination of economic law reform activities, (ii) advise the government on a strategy for economic law reform, (iii) prioritize laws that need to be amended, developed, or implemented, and (iv) direct the formation of working groups to undertake analyses and develop policy recommendations; (b) establishing working groups to (i) pilot participatory, consensus-based, country-led analyses of law reform issues, (ii) develop proposals for legal reform in priority areas, (iii) organize and implement information, education, and communication campaigns, and (iv) establish research/knowledge centers for economic law reform; and (c) developing a comprehensive strategy for economic law reform to includes longer term goals and a strategy for judicial reform. Thailand Legal Aid Services for Poor and Vulnerable People Affected by the Tsunami JSDF Grant (TF No. 55621) for US$182,000 Approved: August 2005 Closing Date: August 2009 The 2004 Tsunami was an unprecedented disaster in the history of Thailand. It not only killed thousands of people, it left thousands more- most of them poor and vulnerable to begin with--without homes and having to deal with the realities of the loss of close relatives. The legal repercussions of these situations are complex and the affected communities now face the daunting task of dealing with the legal, administrative and bureaucratic processes necessary to put their affairs back in order. - 48 - The Thai Government's Master Plan for Reform of the Justice Sector 2004-2006, prepared by the office of Justice Affairs of the Ministry of Justice recognized the need for coordination in the provision of legal aid, as a step toward providing access to justice for all levels of society. Based on this Master Plan, the Prime Minister designated the Ministry of Justice to coordinate legal aid. The objective of the grant is to support the efforts of poor and vulnerable persons affected by the tsunami to rebuild their lives through the provision of legal and related services. The grant is composed of the following components: (a) provision of legal aid to affected persons through subgrants to selected NGOs; (b) legal outreach to communities- to include training programs and workshops as well as public awareness campaigns; (c) outreach to women and children Thailand Out-of-Court Mediation Capacity Building Grant IDF Grant (TF No. 50491) for US$400,000 Approved: September 2002 Closed: March 2004 As Thailand emerged from the 1997 financial crisis, there remained a nagging problem of unresolved nonperforming loan cases (NPLs). The progress of corporate-debt restructuring to resolve NPLs was thought to be moving slowly and in need of acceleration to sustain recovery in both the financial and corporate sectors. At the same time, a considerable volume of case backlog was burdensome to the courts, and expedited judgments were not possible. In mid­2000, the Government introduced out-of-court mediation as an alternative to trial. Mediation has long existed in the Thai judicial system in the form of traditional in-court mediation. Out-of-court mediation is considered an innovative approach in that mediators are independent professionals, not judges. The Government anticipated that an effective new voluntary mediation framework would help lessen the backlog of cases in the courts, speed up the resolution of NPLs, and restore the health of the financial and corporate sectors. The Thailand­ World Bank Partnership for Development (the CAS), prepared in 2002, identifies the competitiveness of the financial and corporate sectors as one of the development pillars most important to Thailand. The objectives of the grant were to support the Alternative Dispute Resolution Office (ADRO) within the Office of the Judiciary to strengthen the institutional capacity to administer out-of-court mediation for financial disputes, in particular for disputes involving NPLs, and to promote public understanding and awareness of the benefit of an out-of-court mediation process. The main grant components were (a) the development of a training curriculum and subsequent training for registered mediators and ADRO administrators, to include the fundamentals of out-of-court mediation for financial disputes and NPL cases, mediation international best practice and techniques, and case studies to enhance mediation skills; (b) the development of mediation rules, a code of conduct, and an operation manual (collectively the "RCM Standards") based on international best practices and consistent with Thailand's laws and regulations; and (c) the development of a market communication strategy and execution of a plan to promote - 49 - public understanding and awareness of the benefits of out-of-court mediation for financial disputes and NPLs as an alternative to trial. Timor-Leste Institutional Development of the Ombudsman IDF Grant for US$300,000 Approved: November 13, 2003 Closed: December 2006 As part of its efforts to rebuild an independent government, the Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste established an independent oversight body--Provedor de Direitos Humanos e Justiça--an ombudsman-type office. This institution has two important mandates: to fight corruption and to promote good governance and respect for the rule of law. This grant's purpose was to support the creation and the institutional development of the Provedor's office. The grant aimed to facilitate the development of an effectively functioning organization that is able to safeguard the fundamental rights of the Timorese people. The grant supported three main activities: (a) providing technical assistance and training for establishing the structure and systems of the Provedor's office; (b) establishing the systems and capacity that will enable the Provedor to function in a credible, transparent, and technically competent manner, (for example, technical assistance in anticorruption activities and good governance and training in establishing the rules and procedures of the office); and (c) improving citizen awareness of and access to the Provedor's services and resources by undertaking initiatives such as outreach services and a national information campaign on citizens' rights. Vietnam Managing Legal Sector Reforms Project IDF Grant (TF No. 52509) for US$300,000 Approved: June 2002 Closed: September 2006 The purpose of the grant was to support capacity-building initiatives for the Ministry of Justice and other related agencies in the areas of strategic management in Vietnam. The project aimed to assist the government in its efforts to improve and effectively implement its strategy for the development of its legal system. The grant supported three main activities: (a) developing strategic leadership capacity, including the capacity to formulate policy alternatives and disseminate international best practices in the management of legal reforms; (b) strengthening the capacity of the Secretariat for Legal System Development established within the Ministry of Justice to provide support for the implementation of the strategy for legal development; and (c) developing and promoting coordination between both local agencies and international donors. - 50 - REGIONAL ACTIVITIES Justice for the Poor Initiative TF No. 71124 for US$2.01 million equivalent Approved: August 2008 Closing Date: April 2013 World Bank and AusAID actively support justice sector reform programs in the East Asia and Pacific region. The Justice for the Poor (J4P) Initiative Trust Fund will support local justice and governance reform efforts by providing assistance to specific country initiatives and by facilitating regional knowledge sharing and cross-country learning; and improve donor understanding and approaches to supporting justice/governance reform, drawing on lessons learned from country and regional experiences. The program is designed to strengthen and expand existing J4P programs in the region (Cambodia and Indonesia) and develop a number of new country programs (such as Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, and others). In addition, the regional program supported by this Trust Fund has three additional components: (a) carrying out an analytical and advisory program, structured around the themes of land and natural resources, development effectiveness, gender and legal pluralism; (b) carrying out of a knowledge sharing program aimed at establishing a community of practice of justice for poor experts across the region; and (c) carrying out a innovation and development program, including facilitation of cooperation and learning through existing networks and structures at both the country and regional level, while providing an opportunity for local partners in non-justice for the poor countries with similar development challenges to be involved in a broader exchange of ideas and community of practice and developing new areas of thematic interest. Strengthening Networking and Knowledge Sharing between "ASEAN Plus" Judicial and Legal Institutions IDF Grant for US$300,000 Approved: April 25, 2005 Closed: September 5, 2008 The purpose of the grant was to strengthen regional collaboration on judicial reform by establishing a knowledge network to facilitate knowledge sharing and management between "ASEAN Plus" higher judicial and legal institutions. The grant was developed by request from the chief justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. This grant included technical assistance to establish and coordinate an ASEAN-wide network of Supreme Court justices. The grant's objective was to enable the members of the network to share lessons learned from designing and implementing judicial reforms, obtain consensus on approaches to adjudicating transnational/cross-border economic and trade issues, and establish knowledge sharing and knowledge management mechanisms between ASEAN countries. The grant also complements ASEAN government initiatives to support legal and judicial reform and address unnecessary trade barriers. - 51 - EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGION In the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region, the transition made by many countries to market-oriented economies in the late 1980s required a fundamental reorientation of legal and judicial institutions. When these institutions ceased to be subordinate to the Executive Branch, the countries in transition were confronted with huge tasks of institutional reform. The Bank's initial efforts at legal reform in these countries were focused on legal drafting and swift adoption of new laws and regulations required to build a market economy. During this process, significant disparities between legislative mandates and their practical implementation became apparent, as did the need to support courts, lawyers, and other justice-sector bodies charged with implementing the new reforms. The process of accession to the European Union further influenced the direction, pace, and progress of increasingly complex justice sector reforms throughout the region. Bank assistance has helped build the justice-sector institutions necessary to interpret and enforce the laws that promote a market economy and that address the corruption that undermines economic development.29 More than US$1,291.6 million of Rule of Law activities have been financed from 2003 to 2008 in this region.30 Of this amount, there have been US$234.1 million invested in stand-alone loans and credits for the justice sector. In addition, approximately US$9.7 million was provided through grants to countries in the region. Albania Legal and Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 3323-AL for US$9.0 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2000 Closed: December 2005 The Government of Albania adopted a comprehensive reform program to strengthen Albania's institutional and governance capacity and its ability to enforce its laws and regulations. In its National Strategy for Social and Economic Development Progress Report dated May 8, 2003, the Government of Albania stressed judicial reform as a priority in terms of improving its efficiency and fairness and improving access to justice, especially for disadvantaged Albanians. The Legal and Judicial Reform Project focused on some of the most important elements that underpin a more efficient and transparent functioning of the state based on the rule of law. 29 This description is from the Europe and Central Asia website, http://go.worldbank.org/M5HPAEAUC0, accessed January 16, 2009. 30 World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review, pg. 45. - 52 - The objective of the project was to provide resources for technical assistance, training, goods, and works that are needed to implement aspects of the Government's institutional agenda for legal and judicial system reforms. The project had four main components: (a) improving legal education, (b) strengthening the justice system, (c) enhancing alternative dispute resolution, and (d) improving the dissemination of legal information. Armenia Institutional Capacity to Develop and Implement an Anti-Corruption Strategy IDF Grant (TF No. 27416) for US$299,800 Approved: February 2001 Closed: May 2004 As early as 1999, the Government of Armenia requested the Bank's assistance in its fight against corruption. A workshop held in Yerevan to discuss the Bank's Institutional and Governance Review for Armenia discussed the key institutional issues needed to be addressed to improve state effectiveness, accountability and transparency. Subsequently, several consultations between the Government, civil society and donors were held to discuss these issues further. The IDF was seen as an effective means to promote civil society involvement. The resulting grant's objectives were to: (a) strengthen the central government capacity for coordination and policy development; and (b) to put in place a consultative and transparent process for formulating and monitoring the implementation of an anticorruption strategy involving government, civil society, and development partners. The grant itself entailed the following activities: (a) strengthening the capacity of the Office of Government of the Republic of Armenia to develop and oversee the implementation of an anticorruption strategy; (b) institutionalizing civil society involvement in the development, implementation, and monitoring of an anticorruption strategy, including an analysis and publication of the results of a previously prepared survey of service delivery/corruption; (c) development of a draft anticorruption strategy and its public dissemination to promote public discussion; (d) preparation of recommendations to the Government based on discussions of the draft strategy; and (e) development of indicators to measure the implementation impact of the anticorruption strategy. Armenia Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 3417-AM for US$11.4 million (equivalent) Approved: September 2000 Closed: December 2006 Since its independence in 1991, Armenia has become one of the fastest growing economies in the region due to a rapid transition to a market oriented economy. From 1997 to 1999, key legislation was passed to transform the country's Soviet justice system to a modern, three-tiered judiciary. During this period, the Government undertook a number of complementary reforms to establish the basis for a modern judiciary. The - 53 - objective of this first Judicial Reform Project was to assist in the development of an independent, accessible, and efficient judiciary in the Republic of Armenia. The project aimed to promote good governance, rule of law, and economic growth. The project had six main components: (a) strengthening the institutional capacity of the judiciary; (b) rehabilitating judicial infrastructure; (c) developing a comprehensive institutional base for continuing education for judges and court personnel; (d) strengthening the service for enforcement of court decisions; (e) developing a comprehensive legal information system accessible to judges, legal professionals, the business community, and citizens; and (f) promoting public awareness of laws and public institutions. Armenia Second Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 4265-AM for US$22.5 million (equivalent) Approved: March 2007 Closing Date: December 2012 Since its independence in 1991, Armenia has become one of the fastest growing economies in the region, due to a rapid transition to a market economy. From 1997 to 1999, key legislation was passed to transform the country's Soviet justice system to a modern, three-tiered judiciary. During this period, the Government undertook a number of complementary reforms--some of which were supported by a prior International Development Association credit--to establish the basis for a modern judiciary. The Second Judicial Reform Project in Armenia has two primary objectives: (a) to provide Armenia's judiciary with the administration, facilities, and expanded capacity necessary to improve the efficiency, reliability, and transparency of judicial operations and services, and (b) to continue to improve public awareness of judicial services and access to legal and judicial information. The project has six components to support these objectives. The first component is to strengthen judicial governance and administration. This will be achieved by building capacity in the Council of Justice, building an effective judicial department, and expanding judicial automation. The second component is comprised of courthouse construction or reconstruction to house the Court of Cassation, the new Judicial Department, as well as regional first instance courts based on the revised judicial map. The third project component is the establishment of a judicial training school, which will become the permanent judicial training facility school. Along with the school there will be the development of a training curriculum. The fourth component is to improve enforcement of judicial decisions. The fifth component consists of strengthening arbitration services. The final component expands access to legal information and public awareness. The project is also supported by a Japanese PHRD Co-Finance grant of US$3.0 million and a Dutch Co-Finance Grant of 4.0 million. - 54 - Azerbaijan Judicial Modernization Project Credit No. 42090-AZ for US$21.6 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2001 Closing Date: December 2011 The objective of the project is to assist the Azerbaijani authorities in developing and implementing the initial phases of a long-term judicial system modernization program. This project seeks to build capacity in order to achieve incremental improvements in efficiency, citizen information, and the system's ability to handle future demand. The project is being implemented through four components. First, the project is strengthening the overall management capacity of judicial institutions, through enhancements to their planning systems and proposals for judge evaluations. Court facilities and infrastructure are being improved to better support accessibility, user confidence and meet growing demand. Third, the overall professionalism of judges and staff is being strengthened by increasing the number of trainees. The fourth component is seeking to improve the availability of and access to legal and judicial information and services, inter alia, businesses and other target groups of pilot programs. Monitoring and evaluation efforts are also financed under the project. This project is currently supported by a Japanese PHRD Co-Finance grant of US$3.0 million. Belarus Legal Systems Reform IDF Grant (TF No. 58127) for US$440,000 Approved: October 2007 Closing Date: October 2010 Arising from cooperation with the Bank and other international organizations (for example, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, EAP Task Force (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), this grant is the result of several years of dialogue with the Government of Belarus on the need to reform Belarus's environmental permitting system. The overall transition toward EU-style integrated permits for large industrial installations and streamlined permits for smaller plants has been accepted as a target by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (MNREP) and endorsed by several industrial leaders. Belarus has committed itself to implementing the environmental strategy decided at the Kiev ministerial meeting in 2003 and participates in OECD's program for introducing integrated permitting and self-monitoring. This Institutional Development Fund (IDF) grant proposal responds to a request from the MNREP. The IDF-financed activities are supporting the MNREP in facilitating the establishment of the legal and institutional basis for integrated environmental permitting. The new permitting system effectively protects the environment and improves the investment climate by reducing bureaucratic red tape, corruption, and transaction costs to industry. The focus of this grant is on legal reform and building institutional capacity. - 55 - The main activities and measurable outputs from this IDF grant are: (a) drafting the Government's program document on Pollution Prevention and Control in Belarus; (b) establishing the system for the elaboration of the BAT technical guidance notes, including developing and publishing pilot technical guidance notes for two priority industrial sectors; (c) proposing key legal reform packages for an environmental permitting system, including procedures and rules; (d) conducting an inventory of and building an electronic data base for installations that fall under the scope of integrated permitting; (e) providing training in integrated environmental permitting for the MNREP central office staff, regional (oblast) permitting officials, and enterprise environmental managers; and (f) conducting stakeholder consultations, information gathering, and a dissemination campaign. Bulgaria Combating Corruption: Strengthening Anticorruption Capacity in the Office of the Prosecutor General IDF Grant (TF No. 58170) for US$475,000 Approved: January 2007 Closing Date: May 2010 The objective of the grant is to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Bulgaria (OPG) in tracking and combating corruption, especially among prosecutors. Corruption among prosecutors in the OPG is considered to be a serious issue in Bulgaria. The grant will support the OPG in (a) implementing its anticorruption reform program through the provision of expert advice and international best practices, which will help strengthen accountability, professionalism, and institutional capacity in a strategic manner; (b) building administrative and technical capacity for anticorruption- program implementation by improving such IT systems as the case management system and a module for prosecutors' declarations of income and assets; and (c) expanding its existing cooperation with civil society to increase the external transparency, public accountability, and credibility of its institutional integrity and anticorruption work. Monitoring by civil society organizations is envisaged to provide an external check on the OPG's anticorruption efforts. Bulgaria Resourcing the Judiciary for Performance and Accountability: A Judicial Expenditure and Institutional Review Report No. 42159-BG; June 23, 2008 Bulgaria's accession to the European Union (EU) on January 1, 2007 was preceded by important steps to modernize its judiciary. Significant Constitutional, legislative, and procedural changes have impacted the judiciary's structure and functioning. Overall, Bulgaria's judiciary is comparable to other European countries in terms of resource indicators important for judicial functioning. Crucially, though, Bulgaria has a higher case inflow per capita than other EU members--especially in - 56 - regard to civil and administrative cases. Judicial reform therefore remains a key focus of Bulgaria's policymakers even after Bulgaria's accession to the EU. This report examined why, given the increasing resources allocated to the judiciary, there seem to have been only modest improvements in judicial performance. A supply-demand approach was used to review the challenges behind improving judicial performance, focusing on resource allocation and management issues on the supply side and on case inflow on the demand side. Several noteworthy results and impacts followed. Budgeting workshops held in May-October 2007 in preparation for the 2008 budget led to the first-ever upstream consultations between the executive and judiciary on judiciary budget strategy and policy. The 2008 judiciary budget resulted in: (a) the lowest ever variation between the budget requested by the judiciary and appropriation by the legislature; (b) the highest capital budget for the judiciary; (c) greater control over judiciary personnel expenditures. The 2009 budget process continued the above trends. The report also identified specific areas where justice sector reforms have started making a difference to people's lives, for example: (i) correcting misallocation of judicial budget resources at the macro level ­ e.g. exceptionally low resources for Sofia courts (which account for 15 percent of all cases, 20 percent of national backlog and lowest case completion rate - with only 1 percent of resources); (ii) focusing attention on the exceptionally heavy annual inflow of administrative cases (compared to other EU member states) and subsequent initiation of a policy review to enable easier access to justice for citizens through administrative means while simultaneously reducing court caseloads; (iii) identification of the importance of more effective provision of legal aid for the poor and vulnerable; and (iv) gains from the introduction of private enforcement agents for enforcing judicial decisions ­ which made it faster and cheaper for people to enforce court decisions and decrees (recognized as one of the key reforms which propelled Bulgaria to the top of the `Doing Business' rankings for 2007). Using the report's methodology the Ministry has reviewed its capital budgeting policy and process and moved towards more effective planning, design and budgeting for courthouse renovation and reconstruction ­ including easier access for the handicapped. Croatia Court and Bankruptcy Administration Project Loan No. 4613-HR - US$5.0 million Approved: June 2001 Closed: January 2007 The objective of the Court and Bankruptcy Administration Project, a Learning and Innovation Loan, was to assist the Government of Croatia in its efforts to modernize its commercial courts; increase the professionalism and competence of judges, commercial court staff, and bankruptcy trustees; and advance orderly insolvency proceedings. The long-term aim of the project was to establish a legal and institutional framework that can effectively protect private property, enforce contracts, defend economic rights against infringement, and establish a secure environment for private investment. - 57 - The project comprised five main components: (a) testing a replicable model of court administration and case management at three selected first-instance and second- instance commercial courts; (b) designing an effective system of management for bankruptcy professionals; (c) training court and bankruptcy professionals; (d) identifying the basic parameters of a legal information system for bankruptcy administration; and (e) increasing awareness of entrepreneurs, bankers, judges, legal professionals, and government officials about bankruptcy and insolvency. Croatia Institutional Capacity Building for Judicial Efficiency IDF Grant (TF No. 52014) for US$350,000 Approved: November 2002 Closed: November 2006 The purpose of this grant was to support the Government of Croatia's efforts to improve judicial efficiency through institutional capacity building. The court leadership, the Ministry of Justice, the administration, and local government were all involved in the process of collecting comprehensive and reliable data on the functioning of courts, conducting an analysis of their findings, and monitoring overall judicial performance within Croatia. The grant supported four main activities: (a) developing an automated system for collecting, processing, and maintaining court statistics and developing a system of monitoring judicial performance in a number of selected courts; (b) developing workload modules and other judicial performance indicators designed to monitor effectively the caseloads and judicial performance of the legal system; (c) strengthening the institutional capacity of the Supreme Court and Judicial Councils within large county courts; and (d) managing the procurement and financial aspects of the implementation process. Croatia Judicial Reform Project Loan under preparation Proposed US$35.0 million (equivalent) Croatia's justice system is considered highly inefficient. The number of judges in Croatia per one hundred thousand inhabitants is among the highest in Europe, whereas the number of court-supporting personnel is one of the lowest. One of the main challenges facing Croatia in its efforts to promote investment and growth and successfully negotiate membership in the EU is reforming its judicial system. The EU Progress Report issued in November 2006 emphasizes that reform of the judiciary is one of the priority areas that needs to be addressed by Croatia for fulfillment of the EU accession commitments.31 The court system is currently characterized by a large backlog of cases (approximately 1.3 million), compounded by lengthy court proceedings. The Croatian 31 "Croatia 2006 Progress Report," Brussels, Commission of European Communities, November 8, 2006, 1385. - 58 - judiciary also lacks public credibility and respect. The project is therefore strategically important for Croatia's justice-related EU accession agenda. The project objective is to facilitate Croatia's EU accession in respect of the justice sector, by enabling the removal of key impediments to justice sector efficiency and access. Such improvements will also positively impact governance and the investment climate. The project components will comprise: (a) increasing the efficiency and transparency of court operations and management, (b) strengthening the efficiency and transparency of the State Attorney's Office; (c) improving the efficiency of enforcement of judicial decisions by reducing enforcement-related case backlogs; (d) increasing the efficiency of Ministry's management functions; and (e) project governance and implementation for effective project implementation and enhanced justice sector coordination. This project is supplemented by a Dutch Externally Financed Output (EFO) of 1 million with the objective to strengthen and expedite pre-appraisal, appraisal and negotiations of the proposed project to facilitate Croatia's EU integration in respect of the justice sector, by supporting the removal of key impediments to the justice sector efficiency and access. The project is expected to be presented to the Board in 2009. Georgia Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 3263-GE for US$13.4 million (equivalent) Approved: June 1999 Closed: June 2006 The objective of the Judicial Reform Project was to assist in the development of an independent and professional judiciary, committed to high standards of judicial ethics and capable of efficient and effective dispute resolution. The project supported key interventions to assist in the establishment of the judiciary as an independent third branch of the Government. The Council of Justice, a twelve-member group appointed by each branch of the Government, oversaw the project. The Department for Logistical Support to Courts and the Project Implementation Unit handled actual project implementation. The project had six main components: (a) improving case management and court administration procedures, including computerizing appellate and district courts and providing funds for audio equipment; (b) rebuilding court infrastructure, including creating training facilities; (c) strengthening mechanisms to enforce court judgments; (d) drafting legislation; (e) designing training programs; and (f) implementing public information and education programs. - 59 - Kazakhstan Legal Reform Project Loan No. 4467-KZ for US$16.6 million (equivalent) Approved: May 1999 Cancelled: October 2003 The Kazakhstan Legal Reform Project was the first comprehensive, institution- building, legal and judicial reform project in Central Asia. The objective of the project was to strengthen the legal and regulatory systems and institutions essential to the functioning of a market economy. The project had four main components: (a) strengthening the legal drafting and institutional capacity of the legislature; (b) strengthening the institutional capacity of the judiciary; (c) disseminating legal information and enhancing public awareness; and (d) strengthening project management. Kosovo Judicial Statistics IDF Grant (TF No. 91272) for US$486,000 Approved: December 2007 Closing Date: February 2011 The Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) began operations in April 2006 after being established by UNMIK regulation 2005/52. The KJC's mission is to ensure the independence of the judiciary and administer the judicial system in Kosovo. The KJC adopted a 2007­2012 strategic plan for the Kosovo judiciary. Among the plan's urgent priorities was the reduction of the large backlog of cases within the courts. The modernization and automation of court administration, including thorough and timely statistical analysis of caseload data is very important to addressing that backlog and generally to improving the functioning of the courts. The grant is to support to the KJC with the development objective of using judicial statistics to increase the efficiency of the court system. The grant supports the KJC in achieving the following priority outcomes: (a) establishes an electronic database of the existing backlog of cases to allow the KJC to effectively track these cases and identify appropriate resource requirements for accelerating their disposition, and (b) uses court statistics to effectively monitor the performance of the courts in timely processing of cases and to adjust resource allocations for individual courts according to caseload. Kosovo Private Sector Development Technical Assistance Trust Fund No. 27806-KOS for US$3.0 million Approved; March 2001 Closed: June 2004 As part of the Transitional Support Strategy for Kosovo and the joint European Commission/World Bank Program for Reconstruction and Recovery in Kosovo, the objective of the Private Sector Development Technical Assistance project was to improve - 60 - the business environment for private sector growth. The project had three main components. First, it sought establish a modern company registry system by: (a) designing a legislative/administrative instrument establishing the new business registry, (b) developing infrastructure technology for the new registry, (c) supporting the business registry application and database development, and (d) developing a public information campaign on the new business registration system and training key personnel at the Commercial Court. Second, it was meant to strengthen the capacity of the Commercial and Supreme Courts and improve the quality of legal services by: (a) training Commercial Court judges and legal practitioners, (b) drafting commentaries for the new package of commercial regulations, (c) assisting the judges of the Commercial Court, (d) establishing a law library in the Commercial Court, and (e) developing a pilot legal aid program focused on small businesses. Finally, it was designed to assist in the development of basic accounting standards and training for local accountants. Kyrgyz Republic Court Information and Management System Development IDF Grant (TF No. 51419) for US$350,000 Approved: May 2002 Closed: March 2006 The purpose of this grant was to assist the Kyrgyz Republic in the development of an information management system for courts of general jurisdiction. The proposed information management system included a legal database of court decisions, a case management system, and a record management system for the collection and maintenance of court statistics. The grant supported seven main activities: (a) undertaking an analysis of the courts' workload distribution and developing an automated case management system; (b) evaluating the case management system after development and installation; (c) providing training for judges and other court personnel on the new court information and management system; (d) supporting study tours for judges and other court personnel to assist them in the implementation and operation of the new court information and management system; (e) developing an automated system for collecting, processing, and maintaining court statistics and monitoring performance indicators; (f) acquiring the necessary equipment and software; and (g) strengthening the management and monitoring of project activities. Latvia Implementation of Laws Governing Administrative Procedures and Information Openness Project IDF Grant (TF No. 50647) for US$279,000 Approved: March 2002 Closed: March 2005 The purpose of the project was to provide support to the Ministry of Justice of Latvia as it strengthened the new Administrative Procedures Law and Law on Information Accessibility. The project also aimed to improve operations in appellate - 61 - bodies within the public administration, upgrade training programs for judges and civil servants, enhance the impartial application of the law, and provide education to the public about rights and responsibilities under the law. Historically, the Latvian public has viewed the state as an oppressive body rather than an institution with responsibilities to organize public life. Ultimately, it is therefore hoped that the project activities assisted in altering the negative perceptions of the state. The grant supported six main activities: (a) developing compensation mechanisms for wrongful decisions by public servants in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance so that they are designed in accordance with the country's budget capabilities; (b) developing administrative appeal mechanisms within various ministries and administrative bodies in line with a new Latvian draft law; (c) strengthening judicial capacity and training; (d) creating training programs for public officials, including training for trainers and developing a manual on Administrative Procedures Law; (e) creating public education programs, including the preparation of materials and information sessions on the new law; and (f) strengthening the capacity of the State Data Inspectorate, the institution in charge of the implementation of the law on data protection, and other public bodies. Latvia Institutions in Charge of the Fight Against Corruption IDF Grant (TF No. 53946) for US$235,000 Approved: September 2004 Closed: September 2007 The Latvian Parliament created a commission dedicated to anticorruption matters despite a tight budget situation due to the EU accession process. The two main purposes of this grant were to: (a) build capacity in the Prevention Department of the Corruption Prevention Bureau (CPB) and the recently-created anticorruption Parliamentarian Commission and (b) strengthen the capacity of the anticorruption community of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Activities supported by the grant included: (i) developing an action plan for the Prevention Department of the CPB to identify strategic priorities, build consensus inside and outside the public sector, and identify staff and resources to implement the plan; (ii) developing an ex-ante conflict-of-interest system including an operational manual and guidelines for conducting ex-ante reviews to assist politicians and other senior official in identifying and resolving potential conflicts of interest upon entry into office; (iii) developing and piloting a methodology for conducting corruption-vulnerability assessments to identify institutional arrangements that exacerbate the risk of corruption for training CPB staff; (iv) strengthening NGO participation in corruption prevention and monitoring by inviting them to participate in vulnerability assessments and monitoring of key public procurement activities; and (v) strengthening the capacity of the Parliamentarian Commission on anticorruption by developing and introducing a code of ethics for parliamentarians and provisions on lobbying and evaluating the reasons for the high cost of campaign finance. - 62 - Macedonia Legal and Judicial Implementation and Institutional Support Project Loan No. 4823 for US$ 12.4 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2006 Closing Date: July 2011 The objective of the Legal and Judicial Implementation and Institutional Support Project is to contribute to the improvement of judicial efficiency and effectiveness as well to as the improvement of the business climate in FYR Macedonia. It supports improvements by (a) enhancing ministerial and judicial capacity to systemically implement the Government's Judicial Reform Strategy and key laws and (b) improving judicial infrastructure. The project consists of three components. The first component, ministerial and judicial capacity building, strengthens the capacity of key institutions in the justice system and supports the implementation of the proposed law on the judicial council, the new bankruptcy law, and the new legal framework for administrative disputes. The new framework includes subcomponents focusing on improving the quality of judicial management and the judiciary, supporting administrative inspections and the administrative dispute resolution process, and improving bankruptcy administration. The second component, improving court infrastructure, supports the implementation of the new law on courts by supporting the construction and rehabilitation of courthouses in FYR Macedonia. The third component, enhancing judicial information technology systems, helps to strengthen the supply and analysis of statistical and other information for the management and functioning of the justice system. Moldova Reforming Courts IDF Grant (TF No. 56346) for US$380,000 Approved: December 2005 Closing Date: May 2009 The Government's EGPRSP, approved in 2004 and its subsequent action plan includes justice reforms. The action plan focuses on legal empowerment of the poor and on institutional reform within the justice sector. The Bank finalized its Justice Sector Assessment in 2005; this assessment provides analytical basis for the grant activities. The Assessment's main recommendations were to: modifying Moldova's judicial map, streamlining decision-making procedures and court operations by reducing procedural formalism, increasing transparency of managerial decisions, and through court and case management reform, introducing a more strategic approach to management with focus on training and education of judges, including integrity issues. The objective of the grant is to enhance the judiciary's performance with a special focus on the commercial jurisdictions through improved court organization, more strategic and results-focused management, and more streamlined commercial decision- making procedures. The grant is comprised of the following components: (a) improving court organization; (b) strengthening court management through improvements to the performance measurement system and strategic human resource management; and (c) - 63 - streamlining commercial court procedures--through an assessment of commercial court procedures and the development of new case management procedures. Romania Judicial Reform Project Loan No. 4811-RO for US$130.0 million (equivalent) Approved: November 2005 Closing Date: April 2011 The project's main focus is on increasing the efficiency and accountability of the judiciary, which should in turn result in a reduced case backlog, speedier court proceedings, and more transparent acts of justice. In order to reach the goals of efficiency and accountability, the following areas are supported in the project: (a) the upgrading of court infrastructure and automation; (b) court administration reform, including a program of case-delay reduction and the reorganization of internal working arrangements in courts; and (c) institution building for the main judicial governing bodies (for example, the Superior Council of Magistracy, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and the Ministry of Justice). Key indicators to measure success include: (i) improving the capacity of the court system to adjudicate disputes (in terms of fairness, speed, affordability, and enforcement decisions); (ii) improving the court facilities in line with international standards; (iii) improving the public image of the judiciary; and (iv) enhancing the competence, professionalism, and integrity of judges and court staff. Romania Programmatic Adjustment Loan Project Ln. 4752-RO for US$130.0 million (equivalent) Approved: September 2004 Closed: March 2005 The project reflected the Government's overarching objectives of establishing solid economic growth, reducing poverty, and joining the European Union. These objectives were addressed by focusing on five key, cross-cutting themes: (a) establishing public sector accountability, (b) instilling financial discipline, (c) instituting regulatory reforms, (d) following good social and environment risk-management practices, and (e) ensuring property rights. The program was divided into two parts. The first part focused on reforming core public sector institutions and processes. The second targeted the public/private interface and regulation of markets. The justice-sector reform component aimed to strengthen capacity within the courts and improve institutional and case-management processes. It also aimed to rationalize the network of the Romanian courts and review the courts' jurisdictions by geography and subject matter. The justice-sector reform component comprised three subcomponents: (a) developing a regulatory framework and training for court managers, (b) establishing a court statistics and judicial performance monitoring system, and (c) developing a plan for court system rationalization. - 64 - Romania Strengthening Institutional Capacity Building for Legal Drafting and Regulatory Management IDF Grant (TF No. 51246) for US$250,000 Approved: February 2002 Closed: August 2005 The purpose of the grant was to enhance the capacity of government agencies involved in legal drafting and regulatory management, including the Ministry of Justice, the Parliament's Legislative Council, and the Ministry of Public Finance. The grant supported five main activities: (a) developing an effective framework for legal drafting; (b) designing regulatory impact assessments and providing training to the agencies that will carry out the assessments; (c) developing performance-monitoring procedures for new legislation and providing technical assistance and training for their implementation; (d) establishing transparency (anticorruption) procedures in the drafting process; and (e) strengthening budget management. Russian Federation Judicial Reform Support Project Loan 4849-RU for US$50.0 million Approved: February 2007 Closing Date: March 2012 The Judicial Reform Support Project for the Russian Federation aims to strengthen judicial transparency and efficiency in courts financed by the project. The project consists of four main components. The first consists of institutionalizing judicial transparency and accountability. It includes: (a) periodic surveys of users of judicial services on access to, quality of, and satisfaction with judicial services and the enforcement of judicial decisions, along with public dissemination of the survey results; (b) research and analysis on further development of transparency, openness, and accessibility of judicial decisions, processes, and practices, including the obligatory publication of judicial decisions, and analysis of the introduction of modem information and communication technologies in judicial systems and of the further integration of the RF judicial system; (c) the creation, implementation, and dissemination of common case- management standards, guidelines, and processes; (d) the development and piloting of criteria, indicators, and a policy to assess and periodically report on the effectiveness of the judicial system, along with related capacity-building and a needs assessment for human capital development in the judiciary to inform policy and strategy updates; and (e) the development and implementation of communications and change-management strategies to promote judicial reform. The second component consists of harnessing information and communications technology for judicial transparency and effectiveness. The objectives are to (a) improve judicial transparency through the publication and public dissemination of judicial decisions at every level in the three branches of the judiciary and (b) improve judicial effectiveness through the implementation of shared (or standardized) ICT solutions. The third component finances (a) information technology­ related education and training for judges and court personnel for the constitutional court, - 65 - the courts of general jurisdiction, the Supreme Arbitration Court, and the Judicial Department, and (b) knowledge exchange, including seminars, workshops etc. for the judiciary. The fourth component finances (a) logistical and secretarial support for the Inter-Agency Coordination Council and the operating costs of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, (b) expert technical ICT support for the judiciary, and (c) the implementation of a project results framework as well as monitoring and evaluation indicators. Russian Federation Legal Reform Project Loan No. 4036-RU for US$58 million (equivalent) Approved: June 1996 Closed: December 2005 The objective of the Legal Reform Project was to improve the performance of the Russian legal system in key areas to support the effective functioning of market institutions. The project aimed to assist economic growth by providing a legal framework to protect private property, defend economic rights, and provide a secure environment for investment and market relations. The project was implemented in the first six years by a quasi-governmental organization, the Russian Foundation for Legal Reform, which is managed by a board of trustees. In the latter years of implementation it was managed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The project had four main components: (a) enhancing legal drafting by improving the legislative framework at both the federal and regional levels; (b) collecting and disseminating legal information; (c) undertaking legal education and public education campaigns, including supporting eight law schools in their efforts to produce innovative teaching materials and implement activities aimed at increasing public awareness; and (d) supporting judicial reform and alternative dispute resolution initiatives. Russian Federation Strengthening Access to Justice for the Poor JSDF Grant (TF No. 90655) for US$1,896,800 Approved: August 2008 Closing Date: August 2012 The grant development objective is to make the justice system more accessible and accountable to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable social groups in two participating regions (Leningrad Region and Perm Krai) in the Russian Federation. Components comprise: (a) building community-based networks for the integrated provision of free legal and social services targeted at the poorest and most vulnerable groups; (b) creating local capacity for monitoring the judicial system's treatment of poor litigants; and (c) developing local initiatives for legal and social support for juvenile offenders, a key vulnerable group in Russian society today. - 66 - Serbia Justice Sector Support Project Multi-Donor Trust Fund (TF No. 71171) for US$4.0 million Approved: December 2008 Closing Date: April 2010 Following its 2000 political transformation and after the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in 2008 with the European Commission (EC), Serbia accelerated its justice sector reforms aimed at strengthening the rule of law and improving the capacity, performance, efficiency, integrity, accountability and professionalism of its justice sector. As these reforms have been supported by resources from Serbia's budget, the EC, and other development partners, the rational behind the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Justice Sector Support in Serbia (MDTF-JSS) is to be a key vehicle to pool finances and coordinate a work program to support the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and justice sector institutions. The over-arching objective of the MDTF-JSS is to be an effective instrument for coordination between the MOJ, other justice sector institutions such as the courts and prosecutors, the EC, development partners and civil society to facilitate Serbia's justice sector EU integration. This will be done by: (a) updating the National Judicial Reform Strategy (NJRS); (b) developing an adequately resourced NJRS implementation plan with progress benchmarks; (c) strengthening the institutional capacity of the MOJ and the judiciary to implement, coordinate, monitor and evaluate judicial reforms and modernization; (d) tracking and reporting progress on judicial reforms; and (e) incorporating NGO/civil society/academic/development partner participation in justice sector reform and modernization efforts. The five main components of the projects are: (i) institutional capacity building; (ii) resource management and aid coordination (iii) strengthening of the legal and institutional environment; (iv) modernization of judicial facilities and infrastructure; and (v) outreach, monitoring and evaluation to track and report progress on justice sector reform progress and impact. Serbia Strengthening the Court Administration System IDF Grant (TF No. 52068) for US$300,000 Approved: June 2002 Closed: September 2006 The purpose of this grant was to assist the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the judiciary in Serbia to develop a modern court administration system. The grant supported four main activities: (a) preparing a diagnostic review of the current system in Serbia, including recommendations for short-term measures to strengthen the administrative capacity of the MOJ and the courts; (b) providing training, including seminars, an international expert workshop, and study visits, for MOJ staff and judges; (c) developing a pilot court administration information system at the MOJ; and (d) developing a plan for the medium- to long-term reform of the court administration system in Serbia. - 67 - Slovakia Legal and Judicial Reform IDF Grant (TF No. 50480) for US$390,000 Approved: February 2002 Closed: November 2005 The purpose of this grant was to improve the planning capacity of the judiciary and support a policy design for managing the legal profession. The long-term aim of the initiative was to increase the performance of the courts, enhance the quality of laws, and improve access to legal and judicial services. The grant supported three main activities: (a) preparing a legal and judicial reform strategy; (b) undertaking a study of the regulatory framework for bailiffs and notaries; and (c) evaluating the impact of these laws and regulations. Turkey Strengthening the Case Load Management and Court Administration System IDF Grant (TF No. 53058) for US$460,000 Approved: December 2003 Closed: May 2007 This IDF grant was designed to assist the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the judiciary in the development of modern caseload management and court administration systems for the courts of general jurisdiction, as an integral part of improving the efficiency of the judiciary and the planning and implementation of judicial reform programs. Implementation measures for the amendments of Execution and Bankruptcy Law are also carried out under the grant. The grant would (a) assist the MOJ and the judiciary in their efforts to increase their knowledge of the problems and needs of the caseload-management and court-administration systems in Turkey and of existing models in other countries, (b) build capacity within the MOJ and the judiciary through provision of training and development of training programs for continuing legal education, and (c) prepare short-term measures as well as a medium- to long-term master plan for the modernization of the caseload-management and court-administration systems. Ukraine Reform of Legal Framework and Enhancing Institutional Capacity for Environmental Permitting IDF Grant (TF No. 55860) for US$445,000 Approved: June 2005 Closed: December 2008 The objectives of the grant were to assist the recipient in establishing the Government's environmental policy, to lead to more effective protection of the environment and improved conditions for conducting socially responsible business, in particular by foreign investors. The grant had the following components: (a) drafting the Government's program on pollution prevention and control; (b) assessing legal and regulatory processes; (c) - 68 - drafting procedural guidelines; (iv) providing training in integrated environmental permitting; (v) developing and publishing pilot technical guidance for one priority industrial sector; and (vi) conducting stakeholder consultations as well as information and dissemination campaign activities. REGIONAL ACTIVITIES Justice Peer-Assisted Learning (JUST-PAL) Network GPF Grant: US$225,000 Approved: December 2008 Closing date: October 2010 This Europe & Central Asia Region-wide project for a Justice Peer-Assisted Learning (JUST-PAL) Network addresses a key constraint in governance-related justice sector reforms in the region: an absence of a professional peer-based network for justice sector professionals to exchange good practices and peer-driven improvements to their justice respective systems. The objective of the network is to facilitate benchmarking and performance strengthening of the region's judiciaries by catalyzing an innovative, country-led and participatory peer learning-based in collaboration with the EC, CEPEJ (the European Commission for the Promotion of Efficiency of Justice) and donors such as DFID, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. This project has three components: (a) initiating a networked peer-to-peer learning and knowledge-sharing process by launching workshops to complement and expand Bank, EC and partner-financed judicial reform activities, and creating Communities of Practice (CoPs) to bring together groups of justice professionals; (b) developing a set of justice sector actionable indicators to enable countries to evaluate their reform needs, status and challenges and; (c) other judicial education and training activities such as a network e- Sharing portal to be a 'one-stop shop' knowledge databank to allow continuous peer- based interactive learning and knowledge sharing. Testing a Regional Approach To Building Justice Sector Management IDF Grant (TF No. 53102) for US$300,000Approved: November 2002 Closed: February 2007 The purpose of the grant was to foster a regional approach to reinforcing the technical capacity of judicial administrators for policy analysis. The grant activities were implemented by the CEELI Institute headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic, and complemented the institute's on-going training activities. The grant supported two main activities: (a) implementation of a pilot regional training program for judicial administrators, and (b) developing a strategy for institutionalizing regional capacity building in justice-sector management. The activities' main goal is to benefit a number of low-income European and Central Asian countries with active legal and judicial reform programs--including Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, and Serbia. - 69 - LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION In 1992, the World Bank undertook its first free-standing judicial reform loan with the Venezuela Judicial Infrastructure Development Project32. Since then, the Bank has extended ten loans, made eight grants, and supported ten major analytical products in the region, in addition to supporting numerous publications and conferences. The justice-sector reform process in the region is linked to broader country regional development agendas. Bank support has thus sought to assist justice initiatives with respect to their contribution to higher-level objectives such as poverty reduction, social equity, economic development, and respect for human rights. The contributions vary by country and cultural context, and Bank work in the justice sector of this region has included research and analysis to identify opportunities in local contexts and causal relationships to broader development goals. Bank work in the justice sector includes many lending operations to support key institutions of the sector, including judiciaries, the Solicitor General's Office, and institutions involved in anti-corruption efforts and property rights enforcement. Grants have supported analysis of crime and violence, measuring judicial performance, juvenile justice initiatives, gender equality, dispute resolution for the poor, and ombudsman's offices. From 2003 to 2008, the Bank financed US$814.0 million for Rule of Law activities in this region.33 Within this universe of lending, the Bank has provided US$14.7 million in grants related to the justice sector. Argentina Model Court Development Project Loan No. 4314-AR for US$5.0 million Approved: April 1998 Closed: August 2005 The Bank carried out a Judicial Sector Assessment in Argentina in 1992. The study and consultations with key stakeholders about the findings in 1995 were noted by the Argentinean Government as it defined its National Judicial Reform program. As a first step in the reform program, a Model Court Development Project was prepared as a Learning and Innovation Loan (LIL). The project objective was to identify, establish, and evaluate conditions that support the realization of judicial administrative reform and form part of an overall legal and judicial reform program. The project had three main components. First was improving court management by (a) designing a pilot-program to improve the organizational structure and processes of 32 Loan No. 3514-VE for US$30.0 million (equivalent) was approved by the Bank's Board in August 1992 and closed in October 2002. 33 World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review., pg. 49. - 70 - court and case management in twelve selected model courts, and (b) creating systems to enhance records and information management, human resource management, and court administration and organization. The second component funded developing judicial skills, which entailed developing training for personnel of selected courts on new case management techniques, judicial discretion, leadership, change management, information technology, records management, and budget preparation. Third was improving accountability through the evaluation and dissemination of information, including (a) undertaking a number of public opinion surveys of the model courts, (b) establishing judicial information centers, and (c) developing outreach. Argentina Support to the Anti-Corruption Office of Argentina IDF Grant (TF No. 27282) for US$410,000 Approved: October 2000 Closed: October 2004 This grant was originally developed out of the Government's own response to poor public perception of justice. Press coverage of real and alleged abuses of power, a series of well-publicized investigations, and the debates leading up to national elections highlighted the fact that Argentine citizens identified corruption as one of the country's most pressing problems. The creation of Argentina's Anti-Corruption Office (AO) was the Government's response to this situation. President Menem had created a National Office of Public Ethics (NOPE) by presidential decree. That office was later transformed into the AO within the Ministry of Justice with the passage of a Law No. 25233. This law and its implementing decree made the office responsible for the application of the public ethics law (Ley de Ética en el Ejercicio de la Función Pública) within the executive branch of the Government. The AO was charged with two main responsibilities: investigating alleged actions of corruption and developing policy and preventive programs. The IDF grant was developed to support the latter function. The objective of the grant was twofold. The first objective was to help the NOPE/AO develop its strategic vision, medium-term action program, and annual work plans. In this effort it supported the accompanying internal organization, capacities, systems, and procedures for the office's own operations and those of a pubic sector-wide network of ethics officers. The second grant objective was to contribute to Argentina's development of a public probity strategy, linking the NOPE/AO with other relevant public- and private-sector actors and enacting appropriate programs of diagnosis, outreach, and dissemination. The grant's activities included (a) developing a strategic vision, program, and basic structure to aide the office's work; (b) developing the internal capacity and system to manage the Office's work; (c) developing diagnostic tools and methodologies; and (d) supporting workshops with public-sector officials and civil society to better define the office's national strategy and, later, to share the results of the diagnostic exercises. - 71 - Bolivia Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 2705-BO for US$11.0 million (equivalent) Approved: April 1995 Closed: March 2000 In 1994, the Government of Bolivia passed constitutional amendments that established a number of key legal sector institutions, including the Judicial Council, the Constitutional Tribunal, and the Ombudsman's Office. These developments, and the creation of the Ministry of Justice, prepared the way for comprehensive judicial reform in Bolivia. The objective of the Judicial Reform Project was to support the development of a judicial system that contributed to economic growth in Bolivia by facilitating private- sector activity and promoting social welfare by guaranteeing the basic rights of all citizens. The project had two main components. The first addressed reforming the judicial system, including (a) improving judicial process, (b) strengthening human resource management, (c) building capacity, and (d) creating a judicial training program. The second supported the development and work of the Ministry of Justice, including (a) implementing constitutional reforms, (b) developing alternative dispute resolution services, (c) implementing legislative reforms to facilitate private sector activity; and (d) capacity building. Brazil Crime, Violence and Economic Development in Brazil: Elements for Effective Public Policy Report No. 36525-BR: June 1, 2006 Crime and violence rates are high in Brazil. In 2002 the country's homicide rate--32 per 10,000 inhabitants--was the fourth highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Not only is Brazil's homicide rate quite high, it also has more than doubled since 1980. This report documents levels and trends in violence and crime in Brazil since 1980 and estimates the impact that crime and violence have on the country's economy. But describing magnitudes and costs is only the first step; the report's more fundamental contributions are to provide a critical survey of public safety in Brazil and to identify good practices in the prevention of crime and violence through analyses of initiatives in Brazil and, where relevant, other countries. Brazil Making Justice Count: Measuring and Improving Judicial Performance in Brazil Report No. 32789-BR: December 30, 2004 This report presents the results of a review of sector operations--defining the sector (or system) not just as the courts but as the multiple formal and informal institutions involved in the resolution of conflicts through the application and enforcement of the legal framework. The principal focus of the study was to determine - 72 - how the Brazilian justice system's key organizations monitor their own performance-- the structure, content, origins, and use of statistics collected on workloads and outputs-- what the consequences such monitoring held for understanding problems and designing programs to resolve them. Chile Capacity Building for Legal Practitioners in Gender Equality IDF Grant (TF No. 53294) for US$175,000 Approved: January 2004 Closed: March 2007 Chile has ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as well as the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women (Belém do Pará), all of which protect the fundamental rights of women. Yet in many cases, these instruments remain unfamiliar to the legal and judicial community, and valuable provisions pertaining to gender equality go unenforced. One of the main reasons why these laws are not applied is that many practitioners have not received any legal education or practical training on the subject. The grant was developed in response to a request of the Minister of the National Women's Service to support the University of Chile in the development of this specialized curriculum, which can be shared across academia, thus addressing institutional weaknesses and developing a new legal field. This grant sought to strengthen the rule of law and address issues of access to justice in Chile by (a) supporting skills enhancement through clinical programs for well-established, professional practitioners and policy makers (i.e., not law students) and delivered by training institutes, law school professors, bar associations, NGOs, representatives from the National Women's Service, and the judiciary and other state agencies; (b) assisting in the integration of international laws into domestic legal practice and enforcement; and (c) creating a national community of practice for the promotion and defense of women's rights. Specifically, the grant financed components for (a) the design of a curriculum and accompanying clinical programs with at least two offerings, (b) publications, and (c) a network of practitioners. Chile Institutional Strengthening for Juvenile Justice in Chile IDF Grant (TF No. 56857) for US$318,500 Approved: October 2005 Closing Date: June 2009 Like many countries in Latin America, Chile is confronting issues of crime and violence, which threaten the country's economic and social achievements. Since 1998, Chile has experienced a steady increase in crime rates. Recognizing the need to revamp and modernize legal procedures and institutions, Chile has focused on modernizing its - 73 - juvenile justice system, looking at how the law and legal institutions address youth- related crime. In October 2005, Chile approved a modern Juvenile Justice Law Ley que Establece un Sistema de Responsabilidad de los Adolescentes por Infracciones a la Ley Penal (Boletín nº 3.021-07), which provides the legal framework for incorporating several principles established in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under the new law, justice sector officials and judges must be specialized to address issues of juvenile justice. The Minister of Justice (MoJ) now faces the challenge of implementing a complex and fundamentally new legal system for improving the capacity of Chile's legal and judicial institutions. This grant aims at strengthening the institutional capacity of the MoJ for monitoring interagency coordination as well as evaluating implementation and dissemination of the new law. Therefore, the development objectives of the grant are to (a) strengthen the monitoring and evaluation capacity of the Ministry of Justice to improve juvenile justice administration and (b) enhance access to justice for Chile's youth, through stronger reinsertion and inclusion in society and the economy. In particular, the proposed grant would finance activities to: (a) monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Law, (b) improve integrated information systems; (c) support e-learning and training of trainers, and (d) support communications and outreach. Colombia Institutional Strengthening of the Legal Claims Management System IDF Grant (TF No. 58311) for US$479,000 Approved: April 2007 Closing Date: April 2010 This grant was developed to support the Department of Legal Claims Management in the Ministry of Interior and Justice to implement a modern system for the management of legal claims against state agencies and related contingent liabilities. The Government is concerned by the disproportionate growth of such contingent liabilities and the limited capacity of Government agencies to take preventive action to manage legal claims effectively. Most such claims arise from conflicts related to Government contracts and labor issues. Since 1994, the number of claims filed has increased, and adverse decisions have generated a heavy fiscal impact. Actual payments due to judicial or arbitral awards have exceeded US$700 million. Recent estimates show related contingent liabilities growing at an alarming speed, up to 2 percent of GDP. Applicable penalties and interests (potentially up to 30 percent per year) have also created a "snowball effect" in Government contingent liabilities associated with legal claims. Claims against Government agencies represent a significant portion of the workload of the Administrative Courts and require special management tools in order to be handled properly to meet standards of fairness and timeliness. With the support of sectoral ministries, and in coordination with the Solicitor General's Office and the Comptroller General's Office, MoJ has taken the lead to strengthen the capacity of government agencies to manage legal claims. - 74 - The grant objective is to strengthen the ability of the recipient to promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and to effectively coordinate, monitor, and control potential high-impact legal claims through appropriate case-tracking systems and capacity-building models. The project consists of the following components: (a) a diagnostic of the effectiveness of ADR mechanisms for legal claims management of state agencies; (b) the strengthening of the integrated information system, including an inventory of potential high-impact contractual and labor claims and an identification of contractual and labor claims eligible for ADR; and (c) the design of management instruments and capacity-building models. This involves the design of coordination, monitoring, and control procedures and the development of capacity-building models, the implementation of management instruments and capacity building models, and the implementation of monitoring and evaluation. Colombia Judicial Conflict Resolution Improvement Project Loan No. 7081-CO for US$5.0 million Approved: November 2001 Closed: June 2006 The Judicial Conflict Resolution Improvement Project constitutes the first phase of a long-term initiative, undertaken by the Colombian Supreme Council of the Judicature (SCJ), aimed at improving judicial conflict resolution services in the civil, labor, and family law jurisdictions. The objective of the Judicial Conflict Resolution Improvement Project was to improve the efficiency, quality, and productivity of the judiciary in discharging its conflict resolution functions. The project had seven main components: (a) improving judicial management; (b) enhancing human resource competencies and capabilities; (c) strengthening institutional organization and structure; (d) designing performance evaluation programs; (e) designing information systems; (f) improving court facilities; and (g) monitoring and evaluating the reform process. The project aimed to promote a comprehensive change management strategy in at least thirty-seven participating civil circuit courts by (a) developing organizational culture and competencies aligned with the proposed changes in conflict resolution services; (b) improving the courts' organizational structure, work flows, and administrative processes; (c) developing incentives to align the judiciary's performance evaluation with the change management strategy; (d) supporting training and infrastructure development for the introduction of computerized court management systems; (e) improving filing systems and physical facilities; and (f) strengthening accountability through monitoring and evaluation systems. Colombia Judicial Sector Development Project Loan under preparation Proposed US$40.0 million Colombia's justice-sector institutions provide a basic public service: resolution of disputes through the predictable application of legal norms. They produce private and - 75 - public benefits, with the latter intimately linked to creating an enabling environment for market-based growth, reducing societal conflict, and promoting equitable development. A series of structural and procedural changes, beginning with the 1991 Constitution, aimed at enhancing these effects, but dissatisfaction with performance persists. Civil society and private sector organizations are demanding improvements in quality and timeliness. The Finance Ministry and Planning Office are concerned about the sector's high costs, and it is believed that citizens are turning to less desirable alternatives because of real or perceived barriers to access. Colombia's justice institutions rank high in the region on professionalism, transparency, and resource endowments, but the country's level of internal conflict makes it urgent to find means to improve their contribution to societal stability and equitable growth. The proposed project's objective, therefore, is to support sector authorities in implementation of a justice sector strategic plan to (a) improve the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of services; (b) build sector capacity to plan, execute, and monitor reforms; and (c) enhance access to justice for the Colombia's most disadvantaged groups. The project is expected to be presented at the Board in 2010. Colombia Peaceful Dispute Resolution Services for the Poor JSDF Grant (TF No. 91176) for US$1.9 million Approved: August 2008 Closing Date: August 2012 This grant provides funding to develop and implement strategies to bring basic justice services to disadvantaged groups, including those facing discrimination (women, indigenous, Afro-Colombian, and disabled) and the poor, in partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs) within an overall framework of Legal Empowerment of the Poor that comprises legal awareness of rights, legal aid, and legal education. To remove barriers to access to justice for disadvantaged groups, the grant will help up to five local government authorities (governors and mayors) to work with CSOs to design and apply innovative approaches to bring justice closer to these groups by specifically targeting municipal governments and CSOs from Colombia's poorest regions. The grant will provide mechanisms to overcome those barriers to advancing their economic and social interests, through activities such as (a) strengthening the voice of the disadvantaged in the design of public policies on access to justice; (b) enhancing access to legal information; and (c) improving legal aid and alternative dispute resolution services. This grant will allow the government agency in charge of access to justice issues (Ministry of Interior and Justice-International Cooperation Unit) to work in partnership with CSOs for the development of strategic plans (including legal and regulatory reform proposals, institutional reforms, monitoring and evaluation systems, and specific action plans) to enhance justice services delivery for disadvantaged groups. - 76 - Ecuador Institutional Strengthening of the Solicitor General's Office IDF Grant (TF No. 51547) for US$394,000 Approved: June 2002 Closed: January 2006 In 1995 Ecuador's Congress approved constitutional reforms that included a new constitutional court, a new public prosecution agency, an ombudsman and new mechanisms for citizens to receive injunctive relief against unconstitutional administrative state acts. The mandate of Ecuador's Office of the Solicitor General, as an independent, publicly funded institution, was to oversee the legality of public sector contracts and administrative decisions, representing the state in legal proceedings and providing legal advice to state officials and publicly funded enterprises. The purpose of this grant from the Institutional Development Fund was to strengthen the institutional capacity and the role of the Solicitor General's Office of Ecuador. The grant supported three main activities: (a) enhancing the office's legal, administrative, and management capacity; (b) creating commercial mediation offices; and (c) designing public legal education activities. Ecuador Judicial Reform Project Loan No. 4066-EC for US$10.7 million Approved: July 1996 Closed: November 2002 The object of the Judicial Reform Project was to improve access to justice, the efficiency of judicial services, and the participation of civil society in judicial reform. The project had three main components. First is implementing court reform, including (a) improving case administration, (b) designing information management systems, (c) enhancing judicial training, and (d) strengthening infrastructure. Second is designing a court-annexed mediation program. Third is supporting law and justice-supported activities initiated by civil society by (a) implementing a Law and Justice Fund grant program, (b) designing a professional development program for law professors, (c) undertaking a study on the state of legal education and developing of standard curriculum in key areas, (d) monitoring and evaluating the pilot mediation centers, and (e) supporting legal aid centers for poor women. Ecuador Law and Justice for the Poor JSDF Grant (TF No. 51277) for US$1.78 million Approved: June 2002 Closed: May 2006 This grant provides funding to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in Ecuador through NGOs and community service organizations. Ecuador's economic crisis meant that 70 percent of the population was living in poverty. This crisis produced not only - 77 - failing banks and high unemployment but also an increase in disputes, conflict, and violence, especially against poor women and children. The poor encounter numerous barriers to accessing basic legal services and dispute resolution mechanisms within the justice system. These barriers include a lack of legal information about dispute resolution options and effective mechanisms to protect individual human and social rights. As a result, additional emphasis on alternative mechanisms to resolve disputes, legal services for the poor, indigenous dispute resolution, and legal education, including programs for children, are required to address the severe lack of access to justice. This grant improved access to alternative means of dispute resolution as well as to qualified legal representation for poor rural and urban indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian women and children, and children in at risk areas through four main activities: (a) enhancing alternative dispute resolution mechanism, (b) improving legal services for the poor, (c) supporting indigenous dispute resolution initiatives, and (d) improving access to legal services. El Salvador Judicial Modernization Project Loan No. 7135-ES for US$18.2 million Approved: March 2004 Closing Date: June 2010 The Government of El Salvador identified judicial reform as a priority in its National Agenda. With the Bank's support, this project was developed through a participatory process involving judges, technical and administrative staff, lawyers, bar associations, businesses, NGOs, municipalities, government institutions, donor representatives, media, law faculties, women's associations, labor unions, and Salvadorians living abroad. The objective of the Judicial Reform Project was to improve El Salvador's judicial system by promoting measures aimed at enhancing the effectiveness, accessibility, and credibility of its judicial branch. The project had five main components. First is strengthening the institutional management capacity of the judicial branch by: (a) developing administrative quality standards, (b) designing an integrated planning system, and (c) developing an international grant resource management program. Second is modernizing the court system, including: (a) developing a court re- mapping plan, (b) strengthening of the automated judicial and administrative case management program, (c) updating models of judicial organization, and (d) expanding judicial infrastructure. Third is knowledge-sharing to foster access to justice, transparency and understanding of the Rule of Law by: (a) designing a system for inspection and control of judicial services, (b) carrying out legal outreach programs aimed at civil society groups, and (c) up-grading judicial documentation centers and libraries. Fourth is enhancing professionalism of judicial officers and court staff by (a) improving the Judicial branch's human resources policies and (b) promoting the role of judges in El Salvador's economic and social development. Finally, the fifth component increasing accountability through project management, and monitoring and evaluation, included (a) strengthening the capacity of the Project Coordination Unit, and (b) carrying out project studies, audits and reviews. - 78 - Guatemala Indigenous Women's Ombudsman Program IDF Grant for US$96,000 Approved: May 2003 Closed: June 2007 The purpose of this grant was to provide support to the Ombudsman's Office for Indigenous Women (DEMI) in Guatemala. The aim of DEMI is to improve access to justice for indigenous women and create new laws to protect their rights. The needs of indigenous women are a priority under the 1996 peace accords, thus enhancing the role of DEMI is a critical part of the Government's objectives. The grant supported four main activities. First is designing a planning and evaluation method to monitor DEMI's work. The second consists of supporting the work of the Unit for Attention to and Treatment for Victims of Domestic Violence, including (a) undertaking a research study into domestic violence, its causes, and its consequences; (b) analyzing models of treatment for domestic violence available in urban and rural settings; and (c) undertaking a study into the needs and preferences of the women who use the judicial services of the DEMI. Third is holding capacity-building workshops and training for women, including (a) training women in judicial processes and (b) developing a program to enable indigenous women to work in the community justice centers. Fourth is improving knowledge management and dissemination by (a) translating information on DEMI and indigenous women's rights into four Mayan languages, (b) disseminating this information across the twenty-three ethnolinguistic areas of Guatemala, and (c) piloting radio programs with basic information on rights and laws pertinent to indigenous women and DEMI. Guatemala Judicial Reform Project Loan No. 4401-GU for US$33.0 million Approved: October 1999 Closed: June 2007 The Guatemalan Judicial Branch Modernization Commission committed itself to a comprehensive plan to reform the Guatemalan judiciary (Plan de Modernización del Organismo Judicial). The reform program was developed in consultation with the Bank, other bilateral and multilateral partners, local judges, court administrators, and NGOs. The objective of the Judicial Reform Project was to support the Guatemalan judiciary in implementing its modernization plan. The project aimed to improve the administration of justice, strengthen judicial independence and accountability, and increase access to justice and confidence in the judicial system. The project has four main components. First is strengthening the institutional capacity of the judiciary by: (a) improving court administration and human resource management, (b) strengthening judicial career initiatives, and (c) improving the operation of courts. Second is designing anticorruption initiatives, including (a) designing ethical standards and training programs (b) establishing a judicial sector anticorruption - 79 - commission, and (c) enhancing administrative and disciplinary procedures. Third is improving access to justice by (a) introducing and expanding alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, such as justice-of-the-peace courts, mediation centers, and mobile courts, (b) improving service delivery to court users, and (c) developing a civil society participation program. Fourth is supporting the reform process by (a) enhancing the judiciary's communication with other stakeholders, (b) supporting the Judiciary's Modernization Commission and Project Coordination Unit, and (c) developing a monitoring and evaluation program. Honduras Judicial Branch Modernization Project Credit No. 4098-HN for US$15.0 million (equivalent) Approved: July 2005 Closing Date: September 2010 The Judicial Branch Modernization Project supports the implementation of Honduras's Judicial Branch Modernization Plan: 2004­2009. The project's objective is to improve the judicial system in Honduras by enhancing its effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, accessibility, and credibility. The project is built on the idea that ongoing judicial reform needs to adopt a more holistic approach, should be informed by past experience, and should be more focused on the users, especially the poor and disadvantaged. The project has four main components. The first consists of strengthening governance, human resources, and judicial independence by (a) establishing a normative framework to promote stability of judicial posts and to enhance professionalism among both judicial and administrative staff, (b) increasing incentives for judges, (c) increasing educational standards and improving training, and (d) monitoring judicial performance. Second is modernizing the Supreme Court and the lower courts by (a) developing an organizational model for courts and (b) designing information management systems. Third is strengthening access to justice, focusing on the most vulnerable segments of society--the poor, women, children, and indigenous populations. Finally, fourth is promoting transparency and anticorruption mechanisms. Mexico The Juicio Ejecutivo Mercantil in the Federal District Courts of Mexico A Study of the Uses and Users of Justice and Their Implications For Reform Report No. 22635-MX, June 22, 2002 This report reviews the research conducted in Mexico's Federal District Courts on the summary debt collection proceedings--Juicio Ejecutivo Mercantil (JEM)--as a result of a specific request from the Government to study the judiciary's impact on contract enforcement. Additional stimulus comes from the Bank's assistance strategy, which emphasizes supporting improved governance and an enabling environment for private sector development. Following an introductory chapter, the second chapter briefly summarizes debates about judicial reform and their political, theoretical, and empirical foundations. Chapter 3 discusses the objectives and methodology of the study. Chapter 4 - 80 - provides an overview of the Mexican judicial system and Federal District Courts. Starting with chapter 5, the most important research findings are reported. This chapter analyzes the users of the commercial justice system. Interestingly, the principal parties to the proceedings are individuals, claims are relatively small, and 90 percent of those cases where a judgment is delivered favor the plaintiff. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 report findings on the trajectory of JEM cases and JEM's dynamic perspective, which assumes different paths and reaches diverse outcomes. Some of the recommendations include improved supervision regarding bailiffs' resolution, formalization of execution proceedings, and reconsideration of the nature of due process guarantees in commercial proceedings. Mexico State Judicial Modernization Project Loan No. 7250-MX for US$30.0 million Approved: July 2004 Closing Date: September 2010 This project aims to support the improvement of institutional performance of judiciaries in a few states through a credit program of the National Bank of Works and Public Services (BANOBRAS) for modernization of state judiciaries. In these states, the project will support four components: (a) strengthening institutional capabilities, organizational culture, and knowledge diffusion; (b) strengthening efficiency and effectiveness of judicial services; (c) improving judicial transparency; and (d) increasing access to justice for all users. The project will also support project coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and learning, including consultation with project stakeholders. In future projects, additional state judiciaries would benefit. The project funds subprojects or separate projects in participating states. Each of these subprojects would be complete in themselves, consisting of the design and implementation of integrated state judicial branch modernization plans consistent with the project's objective. Paraguay Legal and Judicial Reforms IDF Grant (TF No. 51371) for US$440,000 Approved: May 23, 2002 Closed: May 2006 The purpose of this grant was to support the Supreme Court of Justice and the Council of Magistrates in Paraguay to improve their ability to supervise and plan the delivery of judicial services. The grant supported four main activities. The first is strengthening the jurisdictional function by (a) improving judicial selection and on-the-bench performance, (b) improving case-flow management, (c) identifying problems in the handling of noncriminal cases; and (d) enhancing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The second consists of improving judicial administration by enhancing resource management and procurement training. Third is strengthening judicial governance by developing tools for monitoring performance within the judiciary. The fourth component includes - 81 - strengthening the capacity of public registries by: (a) enhancing performance and (b) establishing a sustainable administrative framework. Peru Civil Society and the Rule of Law JSDF Grant (TF No. 54758) for US$710,000 Approved: January 2005 Closing Date: January 2009 This grant provides assistance to build the capacity of Peru's civil society to strategically engage in the country's efforts to strengthen the rule of law. It's objective is to encourage more effective participation by civil society, particularly the poor, in accessing justice and participating in the monitoring of the reform process. The grant provides assistance to civil society organizations (CSOs) for the development of strategic plans, organizational change, monitoring indicators, and concrete actions for enhanced collaboration between civil society and justice sector institutions, including community-based organizations. The grant aims to increase access to justice for the poor by: (i) increasing their legal literacy in order to ensure that legitimate rights are recognized when they are exercised before the judicial institutions in their local districts; (ii) specifically targeting CSOs from Peru's poorest and most excluded provinces; and (iii) building a network of individuals from these communities who live with and serve these populations. Peru Justice Services Modernization Project Loan No. 7219-PE for US$12.0 million Approved: April 2005 Closing Date: June 2009 Between 1992 and 2000 Peru experienced judicial reform initiatives largely driven by political forces. These initiatives undermined judicial independence and were, therefore, strongly opposed by representatives of the justice sector and international observers alike. These initiatives encouraged a bureaucratic and formalistic outlook and exaggerated centralization and standardization of judicial processes. Unfortunately, Peru's justice institutions still retain a negative public reputation, in part because most of their services lie beyond the reach of the majority of citizens, while corruption continues to undermine the legitimacy of the overall system. Further, the institutions urgently need to develop a dynamic service orientation aimed at benefiting a variety of potential users and regaining citizen respect. On the basis of the lessons learned during the preparation and cancellation of the Judicial Reform Project (1995 to 1998), the recommendations of the Justice Sector Policy Note (2000), and detailed studies financed for this project by a Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Grant (2002 to 2003), the Bank has built a substantial knowledge base from which to provide the assistance requested. The proposed Bank- financed operation will complement the efforts of other donors like the Inter-American Development Bank that supported a Basic Justice Modules Project and plans a follow-up - 82 - operation, as well as the United States Agency for International Development and the German Technical Cooperation Agency, which have focused their assistance programs on the implementation of criminal justice reform. The objective of the Justice Services Modernization Project is to set the basis for sustainable justice-sector reform by strengthening sector institutions and enhancing access to justice by the poor. The project aims to increase public confidence in the judiciary and other legal sector institutions by ensuring the basic rights of users. It is also expected that it will facilitate private sector activities by improving mechanisms to protect personal, economic, and property rights. The project has three main components. The first components aims to improve service delivery by (a) supporting capacity building, (b) developing leadership and management skills within the judiciary, (c) strengthening independence between sectors, (d) developing information management systems, and (e) strengthening court operations and case-management systems. The second consists of improving human resource management by (a) introducing a modern concept of human resource planning into key sector institutions, (b) encouraging coordinated planning among institutions for human resource management purposes, and (c) promoting decentralized planning and monitoring of judicial offices. Third is enhancing access to justice by (a) strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to provide legal aid services, (b) strengthening alternative dispute resolution services, (c) providing training and support for lay judges, and (d) developing information strategies that raise awareness among the Peruvian population about the value of an independent, competent, and equitable justice sector. Peru Ombudsman's Office Institutional Development IDF Grant (TF No. 21789) for US$500,000 Approved: February 1, 1999 Closed: February 2001 The Peruvian Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) is an autonomous agency responsible for protecting the constitutional rights of citizens and supervising the compliance of public administration duties and the provision of public services. The Ombudsman's Office is independent from any other state organ and is a key institution in the promotion of citizen's rights in Peru. The purpose of the grant was to enhance access to the services of the Ombudsman's Office and to improve the efficiency of the internal processing of complaints against other state agencies. The grant supported four main activities: (a) modernizing the administrative structure and operation of the Ombudsman's Office, (b) improving the performance of the Ombudsman's national and regional offices, (c) enhancing the coordination between state authorities and civil society, and (d) improving user knowledge of and access to the Ombudsman's services. - 83 - Peru Property Rights Consolidation Project Loan No. 7368­PE for US$25.0 million Approved: March 2006 Closing Date: December 2011 The Property Rights Consolidation Project is a follow-up project to the Urban Property Rights Project. The new project will consolidate the decentralization and sustainability of a high-quality, real property rights system and facilitate access for the Peruvian population. This system will enhance the welfare of real property owners and facilitate access to economic opportunities. It will further reduce the negative impacts of informality, ensuring the legal security of property rights, completing conversion of informal tenure, and building capacity to address its causes through strategic partnerships at various levels of Government and with key stakeholders in the private sector and civil society. The comprehensive real property rights policies component will strengthen the policy-making process on property rights, ensuring stronger legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms and also ensure that further policy reforms will lead to equitable and sustainable socioeconomic outcomes. It will finance (a) technical assistance (TA) in knowledge management and in the preparation of sound legal and regulatory reform proposals and interinstitutional coordination in a decentralized governance framework, (b) access to affordable land, (c) land-use planning for municipalities, and (d) linkages between real property rights institutions and the financial and housing sectors. The second component, decentralized formalization and cadastre services provision, will establish the cadastre services in urban and peri-urban areas among the participating municipalities, through TA provided to COFOPRI, in (a) adapting the needs of informal owners, (b) justifying the cost-benefit terms, and (c) providing capacity-building for provincial and district municipalities. The modern, real property registry systems component will support the integration of real property data and the establishment of the national cadastre system, to improve the quality of and access to real property registry services. A communications and information component seeks to formalize benefits by fostering real-property-related economic activity. Specifically, it will provide information linkages between registration and access to credit; reduce information gaps for credit providers; identify measures to facilitate real property transactions; and develop strategic public/private partnerships to promote business development. Finally, the fifth component will support project management activities, namely, monitoring and evaluation, project coordination, and the assessment and accountability frameworks. - 84 - Peru Urban Property Rights Project Loan No. 4384-PE for US$38.0 million (equivalent) Approved: August 1998 Closing Date: June 2004 Over the past few decades, urban migration has increased dramatically in Peru as a result of the 1968 Agrarian Reform. While Peru has quickly become a predominantly urban community, the formal property system was not designed to effectively deal with this new reality. The system to provide formal recognition to real property rights worked only for a select minority and did not reach the poor. Government agencies were not effective in issuing titles, and the courts were not able to effectively resolve conflicts, facilitate mediation, or validate these titles. In 1996, the Ley de Promoción del Acceso a la Propiedad Formal (Decree Law No. 803) was passed, launching a National Formalization Plan (NFP) to reform the regulation of property rights in Peru. An autonomous agency, the Comisión de Formalización de la Propiedad Informal (COFOPRI) took over the functions of approximately fourteen separate central and municipal entities previously involved in the titling process, and was tasked with implementing the NFP. The objective of the Urban Property Rights Project was to support COFOPRI and the implementation of the NFP. The project aimed to create a system of formal and sustainable real property rights in selected, predominantly poor, urban settlements in order to increase people's ability to access credit for economic and social development. The project had three main components. The first includes initiating a series of legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms, including developing mechanisms to enhance the market use of property rights and land value assessments. The second consists of strengthening the two national organizations for urban property by (a) strengthening operational infrastructure, (b) developing administrative manuals, (c) designing management information systems, (d) undertaking computer system audits, and (e) designing a knowledge-management and human-resources-management strategy. The third component includes securing property rights by supporting the conversion of informal property arrangements to formal property rights through registered titles. As a result of the project, positive impacts have been recorded in both access to credit and the development of real property markets. Urban land tenure continues to be regularized and substantial legal and institutional reforms have been achieved. The institutional consolidation of a centralized national land registration system that can provide tenure security for different types of property (urban, rural, public, private, and communal) is in progress. The National Superintendence of Public Registries and COFOPRI are also developing a strategy to strengthen the capacity of the municipalities to enhance the sustainability of the registry system. - 85 - Uruguay Strengthening Uruguay's Justice Institutions for Equitable Development IDF Grant (TF No. 53995) for US$300,000 Approved: June 2004 Closed: March 2008 The objectives of the grant were to strengthen the recipient's institutional capacity for equitable development, including building its capacity for strategic planning and inter-institutional coordination and the inclusion of women in economic and legal processes. The grant contains two components. The first is the provision of technical assistance supporting the fulfillment of Uruguay's international commitments to gender equality, to be carried through by strengthening the institutional capacity of the National Institute for Women via, inter alia, (a) development of a methodology to register violence against women, and (b) implementation of the institute's National Plan. Second is a capacity-building component to strengthen the technical capacity of justice-sector operators and other institutions and to enhance women's access to justice through (a) the development of a pilot training program, which includes a wide range of participants throughout the country, and (b) the carrying out of an evaluation of the pilot program. Venezuela Judicial Infrastructure Development Project Loan No. 3514-VE for US$30.0 million (equivalent) Approved: August 1992 Closed: October 2002 In 1989, the Venezuelan Government undertook a reform program to redefine the role of the state in public life. These reforms led to a consensus between government officials and the private sector regarding the need for comprehensive judicial reform in Venezuela. The objective of the Judicial Infrastructure Development Project was to improve Venezuela's prospects for private sector development and reduce both the private and social costs of justice. The project had four main components: (a) strengthening the planning, budgeting, and management capacity of the Judicial Council and the Executive Directorate of the judiciary; (b) reorganizing and streamlining courtroom management; (c) enhancing the institutional capacity of the Judicial School; and (d) building and renovating courthouses. Other project activities were undertaken related to indigenous justice, minors' rights, gender sensitivity, and perceptions of the justice system among the poor. - 86 - Venezuela Supreme Court Modernization Project Loan No. 4270-VE for US$4.7 million Approved: December 30, 1997 Closed: June 2001 A strategy for the modernization of the Venezuelan Supreme Court was prepared by the Government of Venezuela in 1997, after consultation with the Bank and other key stakeholders, including judges, court staff, NGOs, and other legal sector members. The objective of the Supreme Court Modernization Project was to improve the Supreme Court's performance in areas of transparency, administrative efficiency, case management, and timeliness in the publication of decisions. This Learning and Innovation Loan project had four main components: (a) enhancing communication, policy research, and quality assurance; (b) improving caseload administration; (c) supporting the dissemination of Supreme Tribunal's decisions; and (d) improving court administration and management. REGIONAL ACTIVITIES An Analysis of Court Users and Uses in Two Latin American Countries Report No. 26966, October 2003 For at least fifteen years, donor agencies working in Latin America have been devoting efforts to promoting judicial reform. They can hardly take credit for initiating the process, which was already on the political agenda in most countries. Fifteen years is not a long time in which to complete a massive region-wide process of institutional change. Significant theoretical literature and some empirical studies do suggest the connections between judicial performance and economic growth, but here as in other areas the operational linkages between theory and real behavior remain a matter of conjecture. The Bank, along with other long-term participants, has recognized the need for filling the knowledge gap and has begun to sponsor studies intended to fill it. This is one such study, and comprises field work undertaken in both Argentina and Mexico. The report is divided into four sections. Part one comprises three chapters. The first reviews the general intellectual background and places the work in the context of current reform theory, research, and practice. The second explains the origins of the studies and their common theoretical framework and methodology. Further methodological details are included in the two annexes to the report. The third chapter provides a basic comparative overview of the two judicial systems, noting organizational and other differences affecting research design essential to understanding the results. Parts two and three, the bulk of the report, review the analysis and findings for each country and summarize the country-specific conclusions and recommendations. Because of differences in the specific focus of each study and in the two judicial systems, the analytic tools and questions investigated vary slightly. However, both studies maintain a common emphasis on identifying users and uses of court services and relating them to case trajectories, outcomes, and implied societal impacts. A further common thread is the - 87 - effort to contrast the empirical data with conventional understandings of judicial operations and their consequences. Part four reviews the findings in the context of their implications for overall judicial reform strategies. As both studies found conventional wisdom frequently in error, the most important conclusion is the need to base any specific reform on more detailed diagnostics of judicial operations in the targeted country. However, the findings also indicate a series of necessary corrections to the strategic paradigm and the assumptions underlying most reform programming. - 88 - MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION The Bank's support for legal and judicial reform has grown significantly in the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region since its inception in the early 1990s. In the early 1990s, MENA began to provide advice on privatization, competition, and other laws affecting private sector development, followed by grants for legal publication and judicial training. By the late 1990s, both investment and adjustment loans contained components aimed at overhauling regulatory frameworks, assisting with revision of corporate and securities laws, and otherwise fostering the development of the legal and institutional framework needed for the growth of a market economy. Grants have supported legal aid for women and children, and initiatives to support enforcement of environmental legislation. Justice reform activities in the region total US$142.7 million for the period 2003 to 2008.34 The Bank has funded significant analytical and diagnostic work in nine countries within the region, and has approved 18 loans that address legal and judicial reform issues. Algeria Le Droit des Affaires et le Developpement du Secteur Privé en Algerie Report No. 32945, April 27, 2005 A key objective of the Algeria Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for 2004­2006 was to leverage Bank activities removing the constraints to private sector-led growth, particularly constraints affecting the business environment, small and medium enterprises, the financial sector, and infrastructure development. To that end, the Bank undertook a study of Algeria's legal and business environment, beginning in 2005. The study posited that Algeria's main engine of growth and new opportunities, particularly for the disadvantaged, was private sector development and investment. The study further noted that over the past decade, Algeria--as well as other countries throughout the world--had undertaken important macroeconomic stabilization programs, including price liberalization, privatization, and trade liberalization. This report is concerned primarily with three issues. First, it addresses the need to adapt Algeria's current legal regime to the new circumstances presented by a market economy, notably, (a) regulation dealing with business creation and operation; (b) transparency and predictability in commercial transactions; (c) statutory laws that regulate private property and its protection; (d) regulation of the insurance industry and information about access to credit; and (e) regulation about enterprise dissolution and bankruptcy law. Second, this report examines whether the judicial system is adequate for 34 World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review, pg. 53. - 89 - the business world and, third, whether the legal framework for business responds to the modern needs of enterprises by providing an enabling environment. Egypt Poverty Alleviation and Legal Rights for Egyptian Women & Children Italian Trust Fund (TF No. 54185) for 501,000 Approved: October 2005 Closing Date: June 2009 The issue of children, adolescents, and young Egyptian women without identification documents has been identified and recognized in recent years as an obstacle to Egypt's national development. Although the exact scope of the phenomenon is not yet known, preliminary evidence shows that a significant number of Egyptians are without a birth certificate and/or a valid ID card. Consequently, they are denied access to basic social services, such as primary education, hindered from participating in economic life, and excluded from political participation. Moreover, they encounter problems in claiming their personal rights, such as the pension of a deceased spouse or assets bestowed through inheritance. The grant's overall objective is to empower and improve the status and opportunities of Egyptian children, adolescent girls, and young women who bear no official identification documents, through activities that would reduce the barriers they face in accessing services and enhanced opportunities and exercising their citizenship rights and duties. Activities covered by the grant include (a) conducting a nation-wide awareness and advocacy campaign on the need for registration; (b) raising the awareness of policy and decision makers at the national and local levels on the need for procedural and legal reforms; (c) providing assistance to households in difficult circumstances, targeting girls aged 18 and under to obtain birth certificates and identification cards; and (d) training social and health workers, registry officials, and members of civil society organizations on current registration procedures and on how to inform families of the need to register their children. Iraq Study Tour for the Iraqi Constitutional Review Committee External Training; August 2008 The Bank, in collaboration with the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) and the Swiss Government, facilitated a study tour for members of the Iraqi Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to Switzerland in August of 2008. The CRC was established in late 2006 by the Parliament of Iraq with the mandate to propose a slate of amendments to the 2005 Constitution of Iraq. This special amendment process, envisioned in Article 142 of the 2005 Constitution, is intended to make critical changes to the Constitution that will increase support for the political and legal framework among all of Iraq's national communities. The objectives of the workshop were: (i) to engage the CRC members and justice sector officials in discussion and dialogue with international experts on the two topics; and (ii) expose them to the Swiss experience with judicial federalism and the second - 90 - chamber of Swiss Parliament (the Federation Council). Comparative experiences were presented by leading experts from different regions and countries including Canada, Germany, North Ireland, and South Africa on the topic of the second chamber of Parliament; experts from Brazil, India, and Nigeria addressed the topic of judicial federalism. Iraq Workshop on Investment Climate, Trade Facilitation and the Legal System Reconstructing Iraq Working Paper No. 135 This note, which builds on the needs assessments presented at the Madrid donors' conference in October 2003, synthesizes the findings of consultations between the World Bank and the Iraqi Investment Climate delegation at two sets of capacity-building workshops held in Amman, Jordan in February and May 2004 on the subject of "Building a Sustainable Investment Climate in Iraq," with lessons from regional and international best practices in developing a competitive investment climate regime. These workshops, together with prior and subsequent formal and informal discussions between both sides, have resulted in the emergence of an Iraqi-owned strategy as well as a set of detailed priority actions. The workshops and discussions were interactive and included study tours, general debates, case studies, and specific relevant best-practices presentations from experts familiar with the region. Jordan First Public Sector Reform Project (PSRL-I) Loan No. 4618-JO; TF No. 26127 for US$120.0 million Approved: June 2001 Closed: December 2001 Second Public Sector Reform Project (PSRL-II) Loan No. 4670-JO; TF No. 26828 for US$120.0 million Approved: July 2002 Closed: July 2002 Jordan's economic performance is heavily dependent upon the economic and political events of the region. The Public Sector Reform Projects were designed as a series of fast-disbursing loans to maintain a strong financial position within Jordan to weather economic and political shocks, as well as to continue implementing the ongoing public sector reform program, which includes reforming the judicial sector, strengthening public expenditure management and accountability, and improving the delivery of public services. The Legal and Judicial reform aspect of the PSRLs sought to bring the justice system up to par with international standards and place Jordan at an equal footing with 35 Papers included in the Reconstructing Iraq series represent works in progress and are not formal publications of the World Bank or other agencies involved in their preparation. These papers represent preliminary and often unpolished results of country analysis and research. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTIRAQ/Data%20and%20Reference/20270768/Building%20Investme nt%20Climate.pdf - 91 - business partners in the EU and the US--which have concluded free trade agreements with Jordan. Judges received training, and improvements were made in the decision- making process through the computerization of court systems. Jordan Legal Aid for Poor Women JSDF Grant (TF No. 26801) for US$191,000 Approved: July 31, 2001 Closed: July 2005 The purpose of the grant was to support local NGOs in Jordan in the provision of legal services to poor women. This grant replicated the legal aid services program initially tested and implemented under the Ecuador Judicial Reform Project. The grant supported five main activities: (a) promoting legal aid services with a multidisciplinary approach to assist women with legal, psychological, and medical issues; (b) undertaking public education on laws affecting women, including developing and distributing information in courts, police stations, and public hospitals; (c) training judges and court personnel on gender sensitivity in handling cases and on the existing national laws and international treaties dealing with the rights of women; (d) developing a proposal to make legal aid services sustainable through partnerships with the private sector and new self-funding mechanisms; and (e) developing monitoring indicators with baseline standards for service delivery to low-income citizens. Lebanon Supporting the Judiciary System in the Enforcement of Environmental Legislation IDF Grant (TF No. 56820) for US$327,000 Approved: July 2006 Closing Date: July 2009 The objective of this grant is to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Justice to enforce environmental legislation. The grant will cover four main tasks: (a) review of existing cases of environmental jurisprudence per sector in Lebanon, comparing them to international case studies and developing a reference guide for judges; (b) establishment of an environmental experts testimony database; (c) introduction of an environmental course at the Institute of Judicial Training at the Ministry of Justice; and (d) awareness raising and wide dissemination of information. - 92 - Morocco Judicial and Legal Reform Project Loan No. 4563-MO for US$5.3 million (equivalent) Approved: June 2000 Closed: June 2004 The 1997 Free Trade Agreement with the European Union spurred a renewal of focus on the Moroccan legal and regulatory framework for business-related activities. In 1998, the Bank carried out a Private Sector Assessment update for the Government of Morocco with significant stakeholder participation. The assessment identified a number of priority areas in need of reform, including the legal and judicial sector. Sector reform was then incorporated as an essential component of Morocco's five-year economic development plan. The objective of the Judicial and Legal Reform Project was to enhance the justice system's role in economic reform by improving the operations and performance of the commercial courts and commercial registries, updating the training program for judges, and strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Justice. The project was composed of six components: (a) improving the legislative and regulatory framework for commercial transactions and the resolution of commercial disputes by supporting efforts to draft a modern Arbitration Code and to revise existing legislation and regulations; (b) strengthening the judicial system's capacity to adjudicate business-related cases efficiently, transparently, and reliably by introducing modern case management techniques and automated tools in all commercial courts; (c) strengthening the capacity of local registries to register and record essential information and provide ready access to the public by introducing appropriate automated systems; (d) improving training of judges and court administrative staff by upgrading the teaching methods, curriculum, and resources of the Institut National d'Etudes Judiciaires; (e) strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Justice to collect, manage, and disseminate legal, judicial, and regulatory information and to promote wide-ranging communication and public awareness programs, and (f) ensuring adequate, sustainable capacity within the Ministry of Justice in order for the project to be implemented effectively. - 93 - Tunisia Economic Competitiveness Loan I Loan No. 4069-TUN for US$75.0 million (equivalent); Approved: July 1996 Closed: June 1998. Economic Competitiveness Loan II Loan No. 4461-TUN approved April 20, 1999 for US$159.0 million (equivalent); Approved: April 1999 Closed: June 2001. Economic Competitiveness Loan III Loan No. 7094-TUN approved December 20, 2001 for US$252.5 million Approved: December 2001 Closed: December 2003 The Economic Competitiveness Adjustment Loans (ECAL) I and II supported a reform program aimed at achieving a sustainable increase in the rate of economic growth in Tunisia while improving the international competitiveness of the economy. ECAL I was the first of a series of operations to upgrade the private sector and to prepare it for the establishment of free trade under the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. The main objective of ECAL II was to increase the soundness, efficiency, and competitiveness of the financial system. Activities conducted under ECAL I included the preparation of a draft law introducing new port regulations and a draft law introducing a Company Code. ECAL II supported a program of reforms in the financial sector. The Legal Reform Component of the project included three subcomponents: (a) initiate bank privatization, consolidate the banking sector, and reform the governance regime for public sector banks; (b) modernize the banking laws and upgrade bank prudential regulation; and (c) enhance the regulatory framework of non-bank financial intermediation, performed by mutual funds, securities firms, and insurance companies. The objective of ECAL III was to continue support for the reforms commenced under ECALs I and II. The project aimed to improve governance and transparency through a more streamlined business environment and enhance regulation, competition, and efficiency in the insurance sector. West Bank And Gaza Legal Development Project World Bank Trust Fund No. 26063-GZ for US$5.5 million Approved: June 9, 2004 Closed: December 2002 The Palestinian Ministry of Economy and Trade (MET) set out a clear legal reform agenda for the Palestinian Authority. The Legal Development Project represented one of the first steps in the Palestinian Authority's quest to establish the rule of law in the parts of the West Bank and Gaza under its control. The objective of the Legal Development Project was to implement an adequate legal framework to support a modern market economy and private sector growth, and to - 94 - increase the efficiency, predictability, and transparency of the judicial process. The project had five components: (a) unify and develop the existing legal framework; (b) improve the judiciary's administrative and case management procedures; (c) introduce selected training programs for judges; (d) expand the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms within the judiciary; and (e) disseminate legislation and court precedents to the legal, judicial, academic, and business communities, and the public at large. Republic Of Yemen Legal and Judicial Reform Project Credit No. 3274-RY for US$2.4 million (equivalent) Approved: June 28, 1999 Closed: June 2003 Until unification in 1990, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South) and the Arab Republic of Yemen (North) had different legal regimes. While North Yemen's legal system drew heavily on legal traditions of the Ottoman system, South Yemen's system had a distinctly common law influence resulting from decades of British reign. The Reunification Constitution of the Republic of Yemen (approved by referendum in 1991) espouses the principles of the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. However, the transitional system faced serious problems in terms of efficiency, quality, and the enforceability of laws. The objective of the Legal and Judicial Reform Project was to assess the potential of a judicial training pilot program to enhance the effectiveness of the judiciary and strengthen the ability of the Ministry of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (MOLPA) to prepare and advise on business and economic legislation. The project had three main components: (a) support judicial reform through training for the judiciary and arbitrators, undertaking an assessment of court administration and judgment execution regulations and practices, and rehabilitating court infrastructure; (b) support legal reform by strengthening the institutional capacity of the MOLPA, assessing the legal frameworks governing business, economic, and financial activities, and developing a legal framework for land tenure, transfer, titling, and registration; and (c) undertake a public awareness campaign. Republic Of Yemen Legal Reform IDF Grant (TF No. 28869) for US$196,000 Approved: January 1995 Closed: January 1998 The objective of this grant was to create and operate a Law Reform Unit responsible for the reform of the legal system. The grant had two main components: (a) the creation and operation of a Law Reform Unit, responsible for the reform of the legal system; and (b) the provision of legal expertise to assist the Law reform Unit in carrying out its functions. Activities carried out under the grant included a review of laws, decrees and regulations in force to identify - 95 - deficiencies in the legal framework; development of a plan for legislative development with clear priorities and sequencing, and subsequently and in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, drafting and amending legislation identified as priorities in the legislative development plan; and preparation of reports on the draft laws and amendments for Governmental and Parliamentary review. Republic Of Yemen Technical Assistance to the General Department of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Planning and Development IDF Grant (TF No. 28579) for US$50,000 Approved: October 1995 Closed: September 1998 At the grant's inception, the General Department of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Planning and Development (MOPD) played a pivotal role in obtaining Cabinet authorizations for negotiation and subsequent Parliamentary approval of Yemen's official development aid. The objective of this Grant was to develop the legal and administrative abilities of the Legal Affairs staff through in-service training and foreign study tour. The grant's three components consisted of: (a) the provision of training and seminars in Sana'a on a variety of legal and implementation related topics, including negotiation skills and strategies, drafting of contracts and agreements, international arbitration and dispute resolution provisions for foreign companies, and improved administrative skills; (b) selected study tours abroad; and (c) provision of support equipment. - 96 - S OUTH A SIA R EGION Since the 1990s, the Bank has expanded its judicial reform programs throughout the South Asia region. These programs have supported key elements of justice sector reform in a number of countries through lending and non-lending instruments, including freestanding operations, components of larger programs, grants, and fee-for-service technical assistance. Justice-related lending operations support judicial reform, strengthening of the Office of the Attorney General, and land titling programs. Grants provide assistance in areas such as land-related conflicts, alternative dispute resolution, and legal aid to poor women. For the 2002­2007 period, the World Bank financed US$109.5 million to support activities under the theme "Rule of Law".36 Of this amount, approximately US$31.1 million has also been provided in grants to the justice sector. Afghanistan Building Capacity to Address Land-Related Conflicts IDF Grant (TF No. 54983) for US$330,000 Approved: April 2005 Closing Date: April 2009 Conflict in Afghanistan stems in part from land disputes among individuals and between communities and ethnic or religious groups. Since 2002, hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Afghan refugees have returned to their homes, while many others remain internally displaced, increasing the potential for future land-related conflicts. This grant's purpose is to strengthen the capacity of the Land Commission (established in 2004) and help local communities formulate policies and adopt practices to address land-related conflict and vulnerability. The grant supports learning-by-doing capacity building and analytical work, including case studies on land disputes; pilots in community adjudication and dispute resolution; and studies on the links between lack of access to land and rural poverty and vulnerability. These activities are complemented by policy dialogue among the Land Commission, civil society, key members of the justice sector, the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction, and other engaged donors. A Capacity Enhancement Strategy, with a corresponding monitoring and evaluation framework to help bolster knowledge, outreach, and dissemination is also supported. 36 World Bank, 2008. The World Bank Annual Report 2008: Year in Review, pg. 41. - 97 - Afghanistan Judicial Sector Reform Project ARTF Grant (TF No. 91260) for US$27.75 million Approved: May 2008 Closing Date: December 2009 At the 2007 Rome Conference on Rule of Law in Afghanistan, participants agreed to develop a comprehensive National Justice Sector Strategy (NJSS) and National Justice Sector Program (NJP) and establish a pooled funding mechanism to support them. The conference concluded that the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, a Multi-Donor Trust Fund being administered by the World Bank, showed the most potential as a funding mechanism and invited the World Bank to assist the Government in the design of a justice sector project. The Judicial Sector Reform Project's objective is to enhance the capacity of the justice sector institutions to deliver legal services. It comprises three components: (i) enhancement of the capacity of legal institutions; (ii) empowerment of the people; and (iii) strengthening of implementation capacity. The first component includes activities to improve strategic management of human capital and physical infrastructure, increase the skills of justice sector professionals, and provide rapid information, communications, and technology enhancements. The second component will improve legal awareness, as well as the capacity to provide legal aid throughout the country. The third component will provide support to Afghan justice sector institutions to implement the National Justice Sector Strategy and Program. Bangladesh Legal and Judicial Capacity Building Project Credit No. 3485-BD for US$30.6 million (equivalent) Approved March 2001 Closed: December 2008 The Government of Bangladesh developed a Strategy for Legal and Judicial Reforms following extensive national consultations with civil society, legal professionals and government officials. The Legal and Judicial Capacity Building Project supports the first phase of the Government's long-term strategy to build a well-functioning legal system capable of improving the financial, commercial, industrial, and social life of Bangladesh. The Ministry of Law facilitated and coordinated project implementation. The Supreme Court, the Ministry of Law, the Judicial Training Institute and the Law Commission were responsible for implementing each of the components under its purview. - 98 - The Project's objective was to support measures: (a) to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of the civil justice system with a view particularly to reducing/eliminating the case backlog and expediting the clearance rate; and (b) to improve access to justice, particularly for women and the poor. The project had four main components: (a) judicial capacity building; (b) improvement of Court administration; (c) supporting legal reform capacity building; and (d) preparation of future reforms/other studies. Bangladesh Technical Assistance of the Judiciary IDF Grant (TF No. 27508) for US$312,700 Approved: May 1997 Closed: May 2000 Bangladesh embarked on substantive policy and structural reforms in the industrial, financial and trade sectors beginning in early 1990. In recognition of the importance of improving the legal environment for ensuring private sector-led growth and particularly for mobilizing grater domestic and foreign investment, Bangladesh's government reactivated the Law Reform Commission, operationalized the Judicial Administration Institute, and the Law Minister appointed an inter-ministerial Task Force to begin preparation of a comprehensive Judicial Reform project. In line with the Government's policy commitment to strengthen and improve the functions of the judiciary, the principle objective of this IDF Grant was to help finance institutional development and capacity building activities. The grant financed the: (a) activation of the Law Commission in order to carry out a program of legal reforms; (b) assisting the operationalization of the Judicial Administration Institute through the training of staff and development of curricula; and (c) developing comprehensive documentation of the laws and regulations of Bangladesh. India Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution in India DFID Trust Fund (TF No. 90989) for US$480,000 Approved: October 2007 Closed: October 2008 The private sector in India continues to suffer from excessive delays and backlogs in the justice system, which has adverse effects on ordinary citizens. This also negatively affects the business environment and weakens public trust in the justice system. Research has shown that these delays disproportionately affect newer and smaller businesses as well as the poor. In order to provide the business community and other segments of the population with an appropriate, efficient and fair dispute resolution mechanism for specific types of cases, the Government developed a program to support alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (ADR). The purpose of this grant was to support the initial phase of this program by providing analytical work and building the capacity of India's International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR). - 99 - Different forms of ADR have a long history in India, but they have never been part of a strategic approach to provision of justice services. This grant financed a study of ADR effectiveness to generate empirical data on ADR mechanisms and their interaction with the court system. The study was an important complement to the ICADR Business Plan being developed through this grant to market and position ICADR's services. In addition, capacity building of officials responsible for managing, operating, and supervising the work of ICADR was included to enable them to develop the strategic thinking necessary to improve the policy framework for institutional ADR in India and enable ICADR to acquire preeminence in this field. India Technical Assistance to the Competition Commission of India IDF Grant (TF No. 54184) for US$500,000 Approved: March 2004 Closed: October 2007 This grant aimed to support the implementation of the Competition Act of 2002 (the Competition Law) by (a) strengthening the Competition Commission of India (CCI), including capacity-building support for CCI staff, policymakers, and the legal community; and (b) strengthening entrepreneurship within the economy and pro- competition allies by promoting greater awareness of the benefits of competition. The grant covered the implementation of: (i) an institutional capacity-building program for the CCI; (ii) a training and skills enhancement program; and (iii) a public advocacy and awareness building program. Nepal Legal and Judicial Reforms to Strengthen Creditor Rights IDF Grant (TF No. 90254) for US$405,000 Approved: August 2007 Closing Date: August 2010 The Doing Business Report 2006 highlights the long delays in enforcing contracts and closing unprofitable businesses in Nepal, and the associated costs. It draws attention to the unsatisfactory framework surrounding these sectors in the country. According to the Bank's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Nepal (2004), a number of governance reforms are needed to enhance the impact of the structural measures necessary to stimulate a more pro-poor and inclusive growth process. It stresses the significance of capacity-building efforts in improving governance, and the role of a strong financial sector in the economy. Insecurity in contract enforcement may stifle individual entrepreneurship, which a well-functioning legal and judicial system avoids. It also reduces transaction costs and increases access to credit. The proposed grant objective is consistent with the CAS. The grant's developmental objective is to build the capacity of the judiciary to provide dispute resolution services in banking and commercial matters through a commercial bench, and data collection and analysis. To that end, the grant supports the strengthening of judicial service delivery in commercial and banking cases by - 100 - establishing a new commercial bench, as well as undertaking a judicial assessment and the creation of a judicial map. Nepal Office of the Attorney General Institutional Strengthening IDF Grant (TF No. 53418) for US$204,000 Approved: March 2004 Closed: October 2007 This grant was developed as a means to address broader issues of governance and anti-corruption in Nepal. The grant assisted the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to (a) strengthen the capacity of its staff through the design of a training strategy and implementation program; (b) improve case administration by the design and implementation of a master plan; and (c) improve prosecution services. The grant sought to strengthen the capacity of the prosecution at its central and local levels, improve administration, and harmonize prosecution. The grant indirectly and directly benefited about 700 staff in the OAG through the grant's training and capacity building activities. Pakistan Reform in Regulatory and Legal Policy Environment Project IDF Grant (TF No. 50724) for US$330,000 Approved: February 2002 Closed: April 2004 In January 2002, the Government of Pakistan, through the Ministry of Industries and Production (MOI&P), established a Committee on Reforms in the Regulatory Legal and Policy Environment. The committee was formed to facilitate the Government's plan to deregulate industry rules, regulations, laws, and institutions. Building on ongoing deregulatory reforms, the committee was mandated to map out a comprehensive reform program and the steps needed to lower the costs of doing business in Pakistan. The Minister of Industries and Production chairs the committee, composed predominantly of private sector representatives. The grant's purpose was to support the committee's goal of improving the investment climate and export competitiveness. Sri Lanka Land Titling and Related Services Project Credit No. 3496-LK for US$6.78 million (equivalent) Approved March 2001 Closed: September 2006 The majority of land in Sri Lanka remains state-owned and controlled. In order to facilitate the creation of an effectively functioning property market, the Sri Lankan Government undertook land-related and land titling reform. The objective of the Land Titling and Related Services Project was to develop an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable land titling program. The project supported efforts to establish a legal framework and develop the capacity to implement land titling to support increased tenure - 101 - security and more effective land markets. The project sought to increase confidence in the land titling system and provide a basis for further longer-term reform. The Land Titling and Related Services Project had two main components: (a) improve the operational methods of land titling and (b) develop the institutional framework and capacity for land titling and related services. The project achieved progress in a number of areas. For example, case studies and operational manuals were developed and communication materials disseminated. Project staff also carried out field research into titling methods and working with legal experts on the revision of the Registration Title Act. Sri Lanka Legal Aid Services to Poor Women JSDF Grant (TF No. 26802) for US$282, 000 Approved: February 2002 Closing Date: July 2005 The Legal Aid Services for Poor Women grant provided funds to local NGOs in Sri Lanka--Sarvaodaya Legal Services Movement (Sarvodaya), Women-in-Need (WIN), and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHRD)--to provide legal services to poor women. The grant replicated the Legal Aid for Poor Women program initially tested and implemented under the Ecuador Judicial Reform Project and was designed to complement the Sri Lankan Legal and Judicial Reforms Project. The grant's purpose was to improve access to justice for women in Sri Lanka. It supported four main activities: (a) promoting legal aid services with a multidisciplinary approach to assist women with legal, psychological, and medical issues; (b) undertaking public education on laws affecting women, including developing and distributing information in courts, police stations, and public hospitals; (c) training judges and court personnel on gender-sensitivity in handling cases and on the existing national laws and international treaties dealing with women; (d) developing a proposal to make legal aid services sustainable through partnerships with the private sector and new self-funding mechanisms; and (e) developing monitoring indicators with baseline standards for service delivery to low-income citizens. Sri Lanka Legal and Judicial Reforms Project Credit No. 3384-LK for US$18.2 million (equivalent) Approved June 2000 Closed: February 2007 The Legal and Judicial Reforms Project was implemented under the Sri Lankan Government's ambitious program to modernize Sri Lanka's economy and bring about political and social stability. The objective of the Legal and Judicial Reforms Project was to improve Sri Lanka's existing legal and judicial framework by making it more efficient, transparent, and responsive to the needs of the public and private sector The project had three main components. First, it aimed to enhance legal reform by (i) drafting new commercial legislation; (ii) strengthening the capacity of the institutions - 102 - responsible for law reform and legal education in the area of commercial law by providing training to develop public awareness; (iii) providing training for lawyers in the Attorney General's Office, and (iv) developing an online Legal Information Network (LAWNET) to include statutes, government regulations, and case information/court decisions. Second, the project aimed to carry out capacity building of the Office of the Registrar of Companies. Third, the project aimed to reform the judicial system by (i) undertaking judicial education and training for court staff, (ii) reorganizing the Judicial Services Commission, (iii) designing model courts, and (iv) establishing a formal mediation center for commercial disputes. Following project preparation, the Government withdrew its request for a component regarding company registry in order to implement it separately. At the end of 2003, Labor Tribunals were also included in the initiatives concerning court reform and judicial training. - 103 - S ELECTED W ORLD B ANK R ESEARCH ON J USTICE S ECTOR 37 POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPERS: Barron, Patrick, Rachel Diprose and Michael Woolcock. "Local Conflict and Development Projects in Indonesia: Part of the Problem or Part of a Solution?" Policy Research Working Paper 4212. The World Bank, Development Research Group, April 2007. Beck, Thorsten, Ali Demigürç-Kunt and Ross Levine. "Law and Firms' Access to Credit." Policy Research Working Paper 3194. The World Bank, January 2004. -----. "Law and Finance: Why does Legal Origin Matter?" Policy Research Working Paper 2904. The World Bank, Development Research Group, October 2002. ----- "Law, Politics, and Finance." Policy Research Working Paper 2585. The World Bank, Development Research Group, Finance, April 2001. Beck, Thorsten and Ross Levine. "Legal Institutions and Financial Development." Policy Research Working Paper 3136. The World Bank, September 2003. Gray, Cheryl W. and Peter Ianackov. "Bulgaria's Evolving Legal Framework for Private Sector Development." Policy Research Working Paper 906. The World Bank, Country Economics Department and Legal Department, May 1992. -----. "The Legal Framework for Private Sector Activity in the Czech and Slovak Federal Government." Policy Research Working Paper 1051. The World Bank, Country Economics Department, November 1992. -----, Rachel Hanson and Michael Heller. "Legal Reform for Hungary's Private Sector." Policy Research Working Paper 983. The World Bank, Country Economics Department, October 1992. ----- and Franjo D. Stiblar. "The Evolving Framework for Private Sector Activity in Slovenia." Policy Research Working Paper 893. The World Bank, Country Economics Department, April 1992. -----, Rebecca J. Hanson, Michael A. Heller, Peter Ianachkov, Daniel T. Ostas, Youssef Djehane. "The Legal Framework for Private Sector Development in a Transitional Economy: the Case of Poland." Policy Research Working Paper 800. The World Bank, Country Economics Department, November 1991. 37 An annotated bibliography, searchable by keywords and methodology is available on-line at http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/legalannotated.cfm. - 104 - Hoff, Karla and Joseph E. Stiglitz. "After the Big Bang? Obstacles to the Emergence of the Rule of Law in Post-Communist Societies." Policy Research Working Paper 2934. The World Bank, Development Research Group, December 2002. -----. "Exiting a Lawless State" Policy and Research Working Paper 4520. The World Bank, Development Research Group, Macroeconomics and Growth Team, February 2007. -----. "The Creation of the Rule of Law and the Legitimacy of Property Rights: The Political and Economic Consequences of a Corrupt Privatization." Policy Research Working Paper 3779. The World Bank, Development Research Group, April 2007. -----. "The Transition from Communism: A Diagrammatic Exposition of the Obstacles to the Demand for the Rule of Law." Policy Research Working Paper 3352. The World Bank, March 2004. Huther, Jeff and Anwar Shah. "Anti-corruption Policies and Programs: a Framework for Evaluation." Policy Research Working Paper 2501. The World Bank, Operations Evaluation Department, Country Evaluation and Regional Relations Division, December 2000. Islam, Roumeen. "Institutional Reform and the Judiciary: Which Way Forward?" Policy Research Working Paper 3134. The World Bank, Development Research Group, September 2003. Kaplan, David S. and Joyce Sadka and Jorge Luis Silva-Mendez. "Enforceability of Labor Law: Evidence from a Labor Court in Mexico" . Policy Research Working Paper 4483. The World Bank, Financial Private Sector Development Department, Enterprise Analysis Unit, January 2008. -----. "Litigation and Settlement: New Evidence from Labor Courts in Mexico". Policy and Research Working Paper 4434. The World Bank, Financial Private Sector Development Department, Enterprise Analysis Unit, December 2007. Laeven, Luc and Christopher Woodruff. "The quality of the Legal System, Firm Ownership, and Firm Size." Policy Research Working Paper 3246. The World Bank, March 2004. Laeven, Luc and Giovanni Manjoni. "Does Judicial Efficiency Lower the Cost of Credit?" Policy Research Working Paper 3159. The World Bank, October 2003. Lie, Tove Grete, Helga Malmin Binningsbø and Scott Gates. "Post-Conflict Justice and Sustainable Peace." Policy Research Working Paper 4191. The World Bank, April 2007. - 105 - Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio. "A Survey of Securities Laws and Enforcement." Policy Research Working Paper 3405. The World Bank, October 2003. The World Bank Legal Department. "The World Bank and Legal Technical Assistance: Initial Lessons." Policy Research Working Paper 1414. The World Bank, Legal Department January 1995. Thuyet, Pham Van. "The Emerging Legal Framework for Private Sector Development in Viet Nam's Transitional Economy." Policy Research Working Paper 1486. The World Bank, Policy Research Department, Transition Economics Division, July 1995. POVERTY REDUCTION AND ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT (PREM) NOTES: Access to justice: the English experience with small claims, PREM Note 40, May 2000. Alternative Dispute Resolution ­ When It Works, When It Doesn't Work, PREM No. 99, August 2005. Features and functions of supreme audit institutions, PREM Note 59, October 2001. Governing the justice system: Spain, PREM Note 54, June 2001. The Law and Economics of Judicial Systems, PREM Note 26, July 1999. Reducing court delays: Five lessons from the United States, PREM Note 34, Dec. 1999 Reforming courts: the role of empirical research, PREM Note 65, March 2002 Reforming civil justice systems: trend in industrial countries, PREM Note 46, October 2000. Strengthening legislatures: implications from industrial countries, PREM Note 63, March 2002. Writing an effective anticorruption law, PREM Note 58, October 2001. LAW & DEVELOPMENT WORKING PAPER SERIES: Guernsey, Katherine Marco Nicoli and Alberto Ninio. "Making Inclusion Operational ­ Legal and Institutional Resources for World Bank Staff on the Inclusion of Disability Issues in Investment Projects". Law & Development Working Paper Series No. 1, October 2006. Bhattarai, Anand M. and Kishor Uprety. " Institutional Framework for Legal and Judicial Training in South Asia". Law & Development Working Paper Series No. 2, January 2007. - 106 - Webber, David. "Good Budgeting, Better Justice: Modern Budget Practices for the Judicial Sector". Law & Development Working Paper Series No. 3, March 2007. Norton, Joseph J.. "Taking Stock of the `First generation' of Financial Sector Legal Reform". Law & Development Working Paper Series No. 4, April 2007. Di Leva, Charles and Sachiko Morita. "Maritime Rights of Coastal States and Climate Change: Should States Adapt to Submerged Boundaries". Law & Development Working Paper Series No.5, April 2008. THE WORLD BANK LEGAL REVIEW VOLUME 1: LAW AND JUSTICE FOR DEVELOPMENT Hank Intven, Richard Pfohl, Cheryl Slusarchuk, and Barry Sookman. Legal and Regulatory Aspects of E-Commerce and the Internet, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 3-159. Carlos M. Correa. Intellectual Property Rights and the Protection of Public Health in Developing Countries, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 165-205. Ann Seidman and Robert Seidman. Assessing a Bill in Terms of the Public Interest: The Legislator's Role in the Law-making Process, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 207-256. John Bruce. Property Rights Issues in Common Property Regimes for Forestry, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 257-305. Hon. Sandra E. Oxner. The Quality of Judges, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 307-376. Ko-Yung Tung. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the World Bank, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 379-391. Akhtar Hamid. Islamic law on Interest: The 1999 Pakistan Supreme Court Decision on Riba, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 393-432. The Instrument Establishing the World Bank Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF) and the First PCF Emission Reductions Purchase Agreement, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 433-524. Ethical Norms for the Judicial Branch of the Republic of Guatemala, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 529-539. - 107 - The Right to Housing: Government of the Republic of South Africa and Others v. Grootboom and Others, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 541-570. Agreement Establishing the African Trade Insurance Agency, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 571-611. China and the Knowledge Economy: Seizing the 21st Century, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 615-625. Principles and Guidelines for Effective Insolvency and Creditor Rights Systems, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 1: Law and Justice for Development, pp. 627-645. THE WORLD BANK LEGAL REVIEW VOLUME 2: LAW, EQUITY AND DEVELOPMENT Caroline Sage and Michael Woolcock. Introduction: Rules System and the Development Process, in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 1- 29. Amartya Sen. "What is the Role of Legal and Judicial Reform in the Development Process?" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 33-49. Franz von Benda-Beckmann. "The Multiple Edges of Law: Dealing with Legal Pluralism in Development Practice" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 51-86. Laura Nader. "Promise or Plunder? A Past and Future Look at Law and Development" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. . 87-111. Julio Faundez. "Should Justice Reform Projects Take Non-State Justice Systems Seriously? Perspectives from Latin America" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, 113-139. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu. "Poor Justice or Justice for the Poor? A Policy Framework for Reform of Customary and Informal Justice System in Africa" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. pp. 141-165. Stephen Golub. "Legal Empowerment: Impact and Implications for the Development Community and the World Bank" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 167-184. - 108 - Sally Engle Merry. "Transnational Human Rights and Local Activism: Mapping the Middle" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, 185- 214. Christopher Stone. "Crime, Justice Systems, and Development Assistance" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 215-233. Amanda Dissel. "Youth, Crime and Criminal Justice in South Africa" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp.235-261. Peter Gourevitch. "Politics, Institutions and Society: Seeking Better Results" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 269-292. Robert Dañino. "The Legal Aspects of the World Bank's Work on Human Rights: Some Preliminary Thoughts" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 295-324. Varun Gauri. "Economics and the Right to Basic Services" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 325-351. David Kinley. "Human Rights and the World Bank: Practice, Politics and Law" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 353-383. Mac Darrow. "A Human Rights-based Approach to Development: Theoretical and Operational Issues for the World Bank" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 385-417. Desmond McNeill. "Equity, Development and the World Bank: Can Ethics Be Put into Practice?" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 419-439. Daniel Magraw and Owen Lynch. "One Species, One Plant: Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development." in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 441-482. Richard Kurin. "Owning Culture? Pursuing Equity: From International Law to Enterprise Development" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 483-501. Charles E. Di Leva. "The World Bank's Policy on Physical Cultural Recourses" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 505-524. Salman M. A. Salman. "The World Bank's New Policy on Indigenous People, 2005" in The World Bank Legal Review, Vol. 2: Law Equity and Development, pp. 525-551. - 109 - OTHER SELECTED RESEARCH: Anderson, James. [N.d.]. " Corruption in Slovakia: Result of Diagnostic Studies." World Bank and United States Agency for International Development. Washington, DC. -----, and Cheryl Gray. (2006) "Anticorruption in Transition 3". World Bank. Botero, Juan Carlos, Rafael La Porta, Florencio López-de-Silanes, Andrei Shleifer, and Alexander Volokh. (2003). "Judicial Reform." The World Bank Observer 18 (1): 61­84. Buscaglia, Edgardo, and Maria Dakolias. (1996) "Judicial Reform in Latin American Courts: The Experience in Argentina and Ecuador." Technical Note 350. World Bank, Washington, D.C. -----. (1999) "An Analysis of the Causes of Corruption in the Judiciary." Legal and Judicial Reform Series. World Bank, Washington, D.C. -----. (1999) "Comparative International Study of Court Performance Indicators: A Descriptive and Analytical Account." Legal and Judicial Reform Series. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Chirayath, Leila, Caroline Sage, Michael Woolcock. (2005) "Customary Law and Policy Reform: Engaging with the Plurality of Justice Systems" http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2006/Resources/477383- 1118673432908/Customary_Law_and_Policy_Reform.pdf/ Accessed on January 22, 2009. Dakolias, Maria. (1996) "The Judicial Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean: Elements of Reform." Technical Note 319. World Bank, Washington, D.C. ------. (1999) "Court Performance Around the World: A Comparative Perspective." Technical Note 430. World Bank, Washington, D.C. ------, and Javier Said. (1999) "Judicial Reform: A Process of Change Through Pilot Courts." Legal and Judicial Reform Series. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Decker, Klaus, Caroline Sage, Milena Stefanova. (2005) "Law or Justice; Building Equitable Legal Institutions". http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2006/Resources/477383- 1118673432908/Law_or_Justice_Building_Equitable_Legal_Institutions.pdf. Accessed on January 22, 2009. -----, Siobhan Mclnerney-Lankford, Caroline Sage. "Human Rights and Equitable Development: `Ideals,' Issues and Implications." http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2006/Resources/477383- - 110 - 1118673432908/Human_Rights_and_Equitable_Development_Ideals_Issues_and_Implic ations.pdf. Accessed on January 22, 2009 Dietrich, Mark K. (2000) "Legal and Judicial Reform in Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union: Voices from Five Countries." World Bank, Legal Vice Presidency, Washington, D.C. Gauri, Varun and Daniel M. Brinks (eds.). (2008) Courting Social Justice: judicial enforcement of social and economic rights in the developing world. New York: Cambridge University Press. Gopal, Gita. (1999) "Gender-Related Legal Reform and Access to Economic Resources in Eastern Africa". World Bank, August 1999. Legal Department, World Bank. (1998). "Georgia Judicial Assessment." Report 17356- GE. Legal Vice Presidency, World Bank. (2004). "Initiatives in Legal and Judicial Reform 2004" -----. (2004) "Ethiopia: Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment." -----. (2003) "Ecuador: Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment." -----. (2003) "Impact of Legal Aid: Ecuador." -----. (2003)."Initiatives in Legal and Judicial Reform 2003" -----. (2003) "Lebanon: Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment." World Bank Working Paper. Report No. 32144. -----. (2003). "Legal and Judicial Reform: Strategic Directions." -----. (2003). "Legal Services for the Poor: Best Practices Handbook" -----. (2003) "Morocco: Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment." -----. (2003) "Slovakia: Judicial Sector Assessment." -----. (2002) "Court Records Assessment Manual." -----. (2002) "Former Republic of Yugoslavia--FRY: Legal and Judicial Diagnostic." -----. (2002) "Legal and Judicial Reform: Observations, Experiences and Approach of the Legal Vice-Presidency." - 111 - -----. (2002) "Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment Manual." -----. (2001, Spanish version 2002) "Argentina: Judicial Sector Study." -----. (2000) "Mongolia: Legal Needs Assessment." Motta, Cristina, and Marcela Rodríguez. (2001) "Mujer y Justicia: El Caso Argentino." World Bank, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ofosu-Amaah, W. Paatii. (2000) "Reforming Business-Related Laws to Promote Private- Sector Development: The World Bank Experience in Africa." World Bank, Legal Vice Presidency, Washington, D.C. -----, Raj Soopramanien and Kishor Uprety. (1999) "Combating Corruption: A Comparative Review of Selected Legal Aspects of State Practices and Major International Initiatives." World Bank, Washington, D.C. Reiling, Dory, Linn Hammergren, Adrian Di Giovanni. (2007) " Justice Sector Assessment Handbook" Rodríguez, Marcela. (2000). "Empowering Women: An Assessment of Legal Aid Under Ecuador's Judicial Reform Project." Legal and Judicial Reform Series. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Rowat, Malcolm D., Malik, Waleed, and Maria Dakolias, eds. (1995). "Judicial Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean." World Bank Technical Note 280. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Said, Javier and David Varela. (2002) "Modernization of the Itagüí Court System, A Management and Case Study System." Legal and Judicial Reform Series. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Schwartz, Tim, and David Satola. (2000) "Telecommunications Legislation in Transitional and Developing Economies." Technical Note 489. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Shihata, Ibrahim F. I. (1993) "Judicial Reform in Developing Countries and the Role of the World Bank." Paper submitted to the Seminar of Justice in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1990's, organized by Inter-American Development Bank, San Jose, Costa Rica, February 1993. -----. (1997). "Complementary Reform: Essays on Legal, Judicial and Other Institutional Reforms Supported by the World Bank". Kluwer Law International. - 112 - Van Puymbroeck, Rudolf V. (2001) "Comprehensive Legal and Judicial Development: Toward and Agenda for a Just and Equitable Society in the 21st Century." World Bank, Washington, D.C. Waxman, Margery. (1998) "A Legal Framework for Systemic Bank Restructuring." World Bank, Legal Department, Washington, D.C. World Bank. (2008). "Mozambique: Beating the Odds--Sustaining Inclusion in a Growing Economy." Report No. 40048-MZ. -----. (2008). "Resourcing the Judiciary for Performance and Accountability: A Judicial Expenditure and Institutional Review." Report No. 42159-BG. -----. (2006) "Crime, Violence and Economic Development in Brazil: Elements for Effective Public Policy." Report No. 36525-BR. -----. (2006) "Gender, Justice, and Truth Commissions." -----. (2005) "Le Droit des Affaires et le Developpement du Secteur Privé en Algerie." Report No. 32945. -----. (2005) "Making Justice Count: Measuring and Improving Judicial Performance in Brazil." Report No. 32789-BR. -----. (2003). "Brazil: Judicial Performance and Private Sector Impacts." Report No. 26261- BR. -----. (2003) "Combatting Corruption in Indonesia." Report No. 27246-IND. -----. (2002) "Gender and Law: Eastern Africa Speaks" Economic Commission for Africa -----. (2002). "The Juicio Ejecutivo Mercantil in the Federal District Courts of Mexico: A Study of the Uses and Users of Justice and Their Implications for Judicial Reform." Report No. 22635-MX. -----. (2002). "Legal and Judicial Capacity Building Project (Case Management and Court Administration): Diagnostic Report." -----. (1998) "Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management: Science, Economics and Law: Proceedings and Reference Readings from the Fifth Annual WB Conference on Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development" - 113 -