UNAMID and UN Country Team State Liaison Functions (SLFs) in North Darfur, in partnership with the state level Judiciary Directorate, from 30 to 31 March organized a workshop for District Court Judges focusing on international fair trial standards and adherence to the rule of law in transnational crimes and offences.

Over thirty district court judges, prosecutors, police and members of the Bar Association participated in the workshop aimed at exploring practical ways to meet set UNAMID exit benchmarks in the areas of protection of civilians, monitoring and reporting on human Rights trials monitored by UNAMID to ensure these are conducted in a fair manner, in accordance with international legal standards and practices. The workshop also addressed the need to ensure promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with national and international fair trial standards] and enhancing access to justice in line with the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

In addition, the workshop covered training and practical guidance on internationally accepted fair trial standards which respect human rights and promote the rule of law in the context of emerging threats involving transnational crimes. The training also sought to strengthen the capacity of the judiciary to effectively balance the application of fair trial standards, adherence to the rule of law, preventing the risk of violation of human rights while ensuring respect for fundamental rights of both the victim and the accused.

The workshop further put in context the transitional strategy of UNAMID and the coordination role of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the SLF as provided by the Security Council Resolution 2429 (2018), which stipulates, among other things, the need to strengthen the human rights and rule of law capacity of national institutions, local community networks and civil society groups, who will ultimately take over key mainstreaming responsibilities in Darfur.

“This is the first Workshop in Darfur covering compliance with fair trial standards and respect for the rule of law in the context of countering transnational crimes such as terrorism, trafficking in humans, smuggling weapons, drugs, and cybercrimes”, said Ms. Cecilia Tillada, Rule of Law officer in the SLFs.

The selection of the topics for the workshop was based on a participatory process, with the judiciary in North Darfur defining area of preference for training to be linked with relevant Sudanese Law, the international standards on the right to fair trial including good practices with respect to the protection of human rights and promotion of the rule of law in the context of counter-terrorism, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, trafficking in persons among other identified transnational crimes.