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 Building the Business Case in the Asia-Pacific Region:  
People-Centered Justice as a Transformative Enabler for Agenda 2030   

Session Time and Date  

11 November, 11:15 – 12:45 

Conference Room 2

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Concept Summary  

By now, we are all well aware that despite being past the midway point of the 2030 sustainable development agenda, we are lagging far behind in its attainment, across the board. We, therefore, need to act decisively and effectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The good news is that in people-centered justice, we have already identified a viable catalyst to accelerate the 2030 agenda. Justice is by now well recognized a critical enabler for achieving other SDGs. It is a unique tool in our toolbox with multiplier effects.  

The benefits of investing in people-centered justice are two-fold. In the first place, injustice comes at a great cost. There are direct and indirect costs for those seeking to resolve justice challenges under often expensive and time-consuming circumstances on an individual level as well as the broader societal toll caused by a lack of access to basic services such healthcare and education. In the worst case, this can lead to lower GDP, weakened public trust and an ultimately increased risk of conflict. These risks, however, can be reversed by investing in justice and responding to the unmet legal needs of billions of people worldwide. 

Secondly, by investing in people-centered approaches to justice, we can ensure a greater return on investment thus making exponential gains in reducing the justice gap. This is because a people-centered approach ensures effective deployment of resources into justice solutions that work, are scalable and sustainable. 

Placing people and their needs at the center of justice systems is a compelling way for increasing the levels of trust between people and institutions, thereby strengthening the legitimacy of governments. A revitalized social contract strengthens democratic institutions, mitigates the rising threat of authoritarianism and reduces violent conflict, thus promoting peaceful, just and equitable societies

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Objectives 

This session seeks to: 

  1. Highlight the cross-cutting nature of justice across the entire development agenda. 

  2. Make an evidence-based case for investing in justice by unpacking the far- and wide-reaching benefits of doing so. 

  3. Showcase good practices and encourage participants to link their regional and domestic work to Agenda 2030. 

 

Questions 

  • In what ways can the rule of law and equal access to justice for all propel the 2030 agenda? 

  • Can you unpack the meaning of people-centered justice, its contribution to stronger economies and its correlation to public trust and the social contract? 

  • What are some of the examples of investing in rule of law and access to justice that have yielded good returns? 

  • How can implementers in the Asia-Pacific region connect domestic and regional efforts with international developments? 

  • What are some of the challenges for deploying people-centered approaches to justice and how can these be addressed? 

  • What are some learnings from other regions on ways to exchange information and collaborate? 

 

Format/Methodology 

The session will begin with a 60-minute moderated conversation between 4-5 panelists made up of rule of law and justice practitioners from government, civil society and the youth. It will also blend expertise from the Asia-Pacific region and internationally to broaden the perspectives and insights.  

The speakers will respond to some of the questions highlighted above and be afforded an opportunity to ask reflect and build upon each other’s thoughts and interventions, as the issues unpack. The second and final part will include a 30-minutes open audience participation and engagement, largely responding to the issues discussed in the first part. 

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About the People-Centered Justice Conference  

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangkok Regional Hub, the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), the United Nations Environment Programme  (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and UN Women Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the World Justice Project, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), and the Court of Justice of Thailand, will host the conference “Achieving Just Societies: Inclusive Justice Pathways for People and Planet in Asia and the Pacific” This event is scheduled to take place in Bangkok from November 11-13, 2024. 
 
The conference will serve as a dynamic platform for stakeholders to exchange insights, address challenges, and explore innovative, data-driven, and evidence-based approaches to enhancing equal and inclusive access to justice for all through people-centered methods, including in crisis-affected settings. In line with a human rights-based approach and the 'leave no one behind' principles, the event aims to foster partnerships and promote robust access to justice frameworks that better prioritize human rights, as well as the justice needs and emerging priorities of individuals and communities across the Asia and Pacific region. 

 
Ultimately, the conference aspires to reinforce a collective regional commitment to upholding the rule of law, ensuring equal and inclusive access to justice, and protecting human rights, all of which are foundational to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in Agenda 2030. 

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Opening Plenary: Access to Justice for All: Bridging 

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Patricia Kameri-Mbote

Director of the UNEP Law Division

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Patricia has in-depth knowledge and experience in environmental law acquired at local, national, regional, and international levels. She has consulted for UNEP in the review of programmes, legal instruments, and the rules of engagement of major groups. She has been engaged in the Montevideo Environmental Law Programme since 2007 and is a member of the Governing Board of the International Council on Environmental Law (ICEL).   

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Patricia is a member of the Senior Counsel Bar in Kenya and has been a Professor of Law at the School of Law, University of Nairobi, where she has taught for over 30 years and served as Dean. She has also taught environmental law at Kansas University, University of Zimbabwe and Stellenbosch University.  She served as chair of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in African Universities, and has contributed to the development of similar initiatives for North Africa and Middle East and for judges.  

Patricia holds doctorate (1999) and Masters’ (1996) degrees in law from Stanford University and a higher doctorate from the University of Nairobi (2019). She also holds a Masters’ degree from Warwick University (1989) and was awarded an honorary degree in law by the University of Oslo (UiO) in 2017.  

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Dr. Phiset 

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Dr. Phiset received his B.Eng. degree in bio-engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, and pursued his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry at New York University, USA. 

He also has an M.A. degree in translation and interpretation from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and a B.L. degree in law from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand. 

Dr. Phiset began his career as a lecturer at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. He later changed course and joined the Department of Special Investigation, Ministry of Justice, as a special case inquiry officer in 2005. 

He later served in several management positions at the Ministry of Justice including the Director of International Affairs, and the Director of Legal Affairs at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Justice. 

During 2014-2018, through the secondment to work for TIJ, Dr. Phiset served as the Director of External Relations and Policy Coordination before returning to the Ministry of Justice to serve as the Director of Information and Communication Technology Center. 

Dr. Phiset has been appointed the Executive Director of the Thailand Institute of Justice since 25 February 2021. 

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Vitit Muntarbhorn

Professor of  Chulalongkorn University

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Vitit Muntarbhorn is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. He is a graduate of Oxford University (M.A.,B.C.L. (Oxon.)) and Université Libre de Bruxelles (Licence Speciale en Droit Europeen (Brux.)). He is also a Barrister at Law (the Middle Temple, London). He teaches International Law, Human Rights and related subjects. He has held a number of UN posts, in particular the following: UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; UN Independent Expert on Protection against Violence and Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. He was the Chairperson of the UN appointed Commission of Inquiry on the Ivory Coast (2011) and a member of the UN appointed Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic. In 2021, he was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia by the UN Human Rights Council.  

 

He also helps civil society and was for several years Co-Chairperson of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism. He has published widely on International Law and Human Rights. His latest book is “Challenges of International Law in the Asian Region” (Springer 2021). He is the recipient of various awards, including the 2004 UNESCO Human Rights Education Prize. He was bestowed a Knighthood (KBE) in 2018. 

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Atty. Roberto Cadiz

 Founding President of CAHRI

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Atty. Roberto Cadiz is the founding President of CAHRI. As former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), he chaired its National Inquiry on Climate Change (NICC) and penned its Report, which sought to establish the nexus between climate change and human rights and the obligations of parties in relation thereto.  Prior to his appointment to the CHRP, Commissioner Cadiz was a private law practitioner, specializing in litigation, where he also co-counseled in judicial reform and public interest cases. 

 

He also served as Executive Director of a lawyers’ NGO, where he managed or supervised projects funded by international institutions, such as the USAID, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and the United Nations Development Program. Among the partners in the projects he managed  

were the Philippine Supreme Court, the Department of Education, and the Commission on Elections. 

 

His previous affiliations and advocacies include leading a campaign finance monitoring consortium, chairmanship of a transparency and accountability network of NGOs, and co-convention of a Supreme Court appointments watch consortium. He obtained his degrees in Law and Philosophy from the  University of the Philippines. 

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Vitit Muntarbhorn

Deputy Director of  Lawyers Collective​

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Tripti Tandon is a  New Delhi based lawyer and Deputy Director with the Lawyers Collective, one of the oldest human rights organisation  in India. 

In her over 15 years of association with the Lawyers Collective, Tripti has spearheaded the work on HIV, law and criminalisation, more specifically on drug policy and human rights. She mounted the constitutional challenge to the mandatory death penalty for repeat drug offences, initiated litigation for evidence based and human rights compliant drug dependence treatment and more recently, drafted legal  amendments to enable access to essential narcotic drugs. All of her work is reflected in the changes to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, which the Indian Parliament adopted in 2014. 

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