Mali Justice Project Quarterly Report Quarter 2, Fiscal Year 2020 – 01/01/2020 to 03/31/2020

The project's main objective is to strengthen the autonomy, professionalism, and resources of the Ministry of Justice's central services, including the National Directorate for Justice Administration (DNAJ). To achieve this goal, MJP has committed to revising the governing texts of each service through a multi-stakeholder working group, starting with DNAJ. MJP provided specialized training for court personnel in Sikasso, Kayes, and Mopti on the MJP-drafted Public Procurement Guidebook, which was approved and adopted last quarter. The training aimed to enhance the efficiency of court operations and improve the management of public procurement processes. Additionally, MJP trained clerks of regional courts in archiving to better prepare for and transition to computerized civil and penal chains. The Quick Impact Project (QIP) renovations, which have procured the necessary furniture for archiving, refurbished previously unusable spaces for storing documents, and protected court documents through waterproofing, were completed at the Grand Instance Courts of Kita and Kati and are nearing completion at the Grand Instance Court in Commune II of the District of Bamako. The projects will be subject to final acceptance by the Ministry of Justice and USAID in the next quarter(s), when the relevant parties are able to travel to sites outside of Bamako following Covid-19 related movement restrictions. MJP continued to support the Government of Mali in its efforts to harmonize its traditional and formal justice systems. A stakeholders workshop was hosted in early January to clarify contentious issues that remain in the pending traditional justice bill. Following this workshop, MJP established a working group made up of MJP, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization representatives who will lead the national training of traditional authorities once the bill is adopted. As part of its access to justice work, MJP continued to provide technical support to eleven grantees working in seven regions of Mali. The MJP team conducted several field visits to monitor, mentor, and provide support to legal clinic managers and paralegals on issues such as mediation, legal outreach, institutional strengthening, and legal assistance. More than 7,000 people benefitted from the grantees' access to justice services during this quarter. These services include justice education, free legal information and advice, legal outreach, legal and administrative assistance through pro bono legal services, referral to specialized institutions, and conflict resolution through mediation. The MJP-supported Hakew Sabatili platform continued to offer holistic assistance (legal, psychosocial, medical, and economic reintegration) to survivors of gender-based violence within the "Maisons de la Femme" (Women's Centers) in Bamako. This activity has achieved tremendous strides since its inception nine months ago, with the number of women assisted tripling as more women are seeking assistance and earning their rights through the legal outreach conducted by Hakew Sabatili in mosques, churches, markets, and schools. MJP made significant progress in strengthening and expanding the Sikasso Platform for the Free Movement of Persons and Goods (Platform), supporting the Platform in implementing its sustainability and advocacy plans, and further building skills of local Watch Cells and Citizens Advocacy Offices (CAOs) in providing legal assistance to victims of corruption and harassment in trade corridors. The Sikasso Platform grew into a cross-regional platform uniting five local branches with more than 300 contributing members, reorganized Watch Cells, and a new, standard set of internal regulations and policies to be implemented by all members. The CAOs have seen a considerable increase in the number of formal complaints they received this quarter, particularly following the launch of the KAKOFO ("We must talk about it.") mobile app. This quarter, around 12 percent of relevant complaints were formalized into cases to be referred to administrative and judicial authorities.