United Nations Development Programme opens office in The Hague

The Hague welcomes the first project office on the Rule of Law by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This milestone was achieved through an agreement between the Netherlands and the United Nations. The signing ceremony, held on January 31, was attended by the Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, and the city’s Special Envoy for Peace and Justice, Diana Eggleston. 

UNDP, the leading UN agency for international development, focuses on various areas including poverty reduction, democratic governance, crisis prevention, and recovery, all of which emphasize the importance of strengthening the rule of law.  

UNDP is opening an office in The Hague for its ‘Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice, and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development’. In The Hague, UNDP aims to strengthen partnerships with international justice actors and civil society justice champions, including through the Justice Action Coalition (JAC). 

UNDP will also establish its Justice Futures CoLab, a space for experimentation, learning, and innovation to address justice challenges in The Hague and be part of the secretariat of the Dutch-led Justice Action Coalition (JAC). 

Jan van Zanen, the Mayor of The Hague: "UNDP is a valuable addition to The Hague's ecosystem of peace and justice. The arrival of UNDP also strengthens the bond between the UN and The Hague as an international city of Peace and Justice."  

The Hague hosts a vibrant ecosystem of more than 500 organisations working on peace and justice challenges, including the International Court of Justice, UNOCHA, UNICRI, and UNHCR.  

Read the full story: https://storiesofpurpose.thehague.com/rule-law/undp