United Nations Radio

Dmitri Titov

PRES: Among the areas of responsibility for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is the strengthening of judicial and corrections institutions particularly in countries that have emerged from conflict. Gail Walker has more.

Narr: Dimitry Titov, Assistant-Secretary-General for the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (ORLSI), says over the past 20 years peacekeeping has evolved with a strong commitment to rule of law programs especially for post-conflict situations. He says corrections is an indispensable element of the UN's work in the area of rule of law. Without it, he says it's impossible to create lasting foundations for state institutions:

"Police without a prison is a nonsensical element and equally justice without a prison is equally almost nothing and yet the state of corrections in post-conflict situations is usually in dismal state. We find prisons without food, without basic medical health, without utensils, with the riots and disease rampant. Very little support given to prison officials and that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, immediately when we introduce peacekeeping operations in post-conflict settings."

Narr: Mr. Titov says it's essential to implement a holistic approach to the rule of law. He says the UN is doing this in several ways:

"One is building up law in a country in post-conflict situation. Another is building up its police, professionalizing the justice sector, or supporting, as much as we can the corrections. We are trying to ensure national ownership by discussing with the recipient government priorities, as we see it from our experience from our perspective."

Narr: The Assistant Secretary-General says in many post-conflict situations, the rule of law is in serious disrepair and some systems have collapsed all together. He says that's why the UN is working to educate local authorities about the need to allocate proper resources to prisons:

"From protection of women and children in penitentiaries to the situations when prisoners are actually released and have to be traced and tracked and supported in their rehabilitation. Many areas are required to build up a truly professional sector. From psychiatry and infrastructure to techniques on guarding or in providing food; drilling for water in some of the prisons where water is not available."

Narr: Over the past decade the number of peacekeepers has almost quadrupled. The Assistant Secretary-General says while the trend has been toward rapidly expanding peacekeeping operations, the important thing is to create a viable, responsible, and robust system which can effectively address emergencies around the world.

Producer: Gail Walker
Duration: 2'37"