Nearly 5 billion people, or two-thirds of the world’s population, have no real access to justice (World Justice Project, 2023). There are many reasons for this: failing institutions, situations of conflict or a lack of effective legal protection.

This reality reflects a major challenge for the rule of law: the inability of judicial systems to guarantee fundamental rights accentuates inequalities, weakens social cohesion and hampers sustainable development and growth. Vulnerable populations – women, young people, minorities – are hit the hardest, as they are exposed to impunity, corruption and exclusion from public services.

On a global scale, the World Bank believes that the absence of accessible justice mechanisms compromises the legal security of investments and the stability of institutions.

Strengthening access to justice is therefore of strategic importance for international cooperation: It is about consolidating governance, preventing conflict and promoting inclusive societies. This is why Enabel supports both the strengthening of state judicial systems and local conflict resolution mechanisms (dialogue, mediation, conciliation or community-led arbitration). When well coordinated, these two systems ensure a more inclusive, complementary and effective justice.

Priorities

By supporting judicial reforms, Enabel works to make justice systems more inclusive, credible, and effective. We help improve the performance of courts, strengthen the skills of justice-sector personnel, and enhance the speed and quality of case handling. By working with both local courts and central bodies, the entire judicial system is consolidated.

As part of the Global Gateway Strategy, support for justice and the rule of law plays a central role in creating a favourable environment for secure and attractive investments. This makes it possible to effectively resolve investment-related disputes (land disputes, commercial disputes, etc.) and to combat corruption and illicit flows (economic and financial crime). It is also a means of ensuring legal protection for companies, while guaranteeing respect for the economic and social rights of people, in the interests of inclusive and sustainable growth.

Enabel brings justice closer to the people by supporting legal aid mechanisms and networks of paralegals active in communities. This human-rights-based approach strengthens the capacity of justice systems to fulfil their responsibilities while empowering citizens to claim and exercise their rights.

Enabel puts people’s every day, practical needs at the centre of its work to promote access to justice. This means supporting local, transparent, and inclusive mechanisms for resolving conflicts, ensuring that solutions are accessible and tailored to the realities of each community.

In a global context where conflicts continue to rise worldwide – and as Enabel is already supporting reconstruction efforts (e.g. Ukraine) – the agency plans to deepen its engagement in transitional justice. This framework brings together judicial and non-judicial measures that help societies rebuild after widespread human rights violations: uncovering the truth, delivering justice, providing reparations, preserving memory, and fostering reconciliation.

Enabel leverages Belgian public expertise through strong partnerships with key Belgian players such as the Ministry of Justice, the High Council of Justice, the Judicial Training Institute (IFJ-IGO) and the Federal Police. This partner network is a major asset for sharing experience.

Services

• Improving court performance (training magistrates and court clerks, improving management and planning, support for archiving, etc.)
• Supporting the criminal justice system, including the fight against economic and financial crime
• Supporting justice reforms at central level
• Strengthening local conflict prevention and management mechanisms
• Improving access to justice, particularly for women, girls and vulnerable groups (interpreting services, legal aid, paralegal organisations)
• Sharing of experience between Belgian public players and those in partner countries.