Justice, Human Rights and Security Strengthening Activity (JHRSS) Quarterly Report #9, October 1 to December 31, 2018

The activity aims to strengthen the justice, human rights, and security sectors in Honduras. Between October 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, Unidos implemented various activities to achieve this goal. Almost 10,000 residents of some of Honduras' most violence-prone urban neighborhoods participated in 179 community-level activities alongside locally assigned police officers. These activities, organized by the National Police, community leaders, and Unidos grantees, were designed to increase trust and foster shared responsibility for citizen security. The improved relationships paved the way for the implementation in 2019 of activities that will include Problem-Oriented Policing and Community Security Action Plans. Unidos also spearheaded the Copa Unidos por la Paz (United for Peace Cup) youth soccer tournament, a six-month, inter-community effort to foster engagement and exchange across 14 marginalized neighborhoods of La Ceiba. Approximately 940 girls and boys ages 9 to 18 participated in the first half of the tournament between October 19 and the end of 2018. The Copa marshalled collaboration of the National Police, municipal government, Ministry of Education, USAID's Genesis project and its outreach centers, the local Chamber of Commerce, and community councils. Unidos took its Institutional Strengthening efforts to the regional level, conducting participatory evaluations of Integrated Criminal Justice Centers (CEIN) and First Instance Sectional Courts in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. The evaluations identified areas where and how these institutions can improve their services for victims, and both institutions will pilot reforms in 2019. Based on these pilots, CEIN and the Sectional Courts will determine how to replicate reforms throughout the country. In collaboration with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, Unidos organized two workshops on the application of international conventions in the Honduran judicial system. A total of 88 judges, prosecutors, and attorneys attended the workshops in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula the last week of November. Unidos also instituted a revised Gender Inclusion Strategy in October 2018, strengthening the role of gender – in particular reduction of gender-based violence – as a cross-cutting theme of all Unidos programming. The project kick-off support to the National Police to develop their first Gender Policy; and over 20 different activities were carried across target municipalities to commemorate 16 Days of Activism to end violence against women. The activity's focus on building community-police relations, strengthening the administration of justice, advancing knowledge of international human rights conventions, and honing the focus on gender has led to significant progress in Honduras. The improved relationships between the community and the police have paved the way for the implementation of Problem-Oriented Policing and Community Security Action Plans in 2019. The Institutional Strengthening efforts have identified areas for improvement in the justice system, and the workshops on international human rights conventions have increased awareness among judges, prosecutors, and attorneys. The revised Gender Inclusion Strategy has strengthened the role of gender in Unidos programming, and the project's support to the National Police has led to the development of their first Gender Policy.