Quarterly Technical Report (October 1 – December 30, 2015)

The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc. The AJA's main goal is to support the Colombian government's efforts to establish a post-conflict era, with a focus on justice and treatment for victims. The AJA's first quarter of FY 2016 ended on a positive note, with an agreement signed between the FARC and the Government of Colombia (GOC) on December 15 regarding justice and treatment for victims. The GOC is creating enlistment teams to implement concrete proposals for laying the foundations for a final and lasting peace. The Ministry of Post-Conflict has publicly shared the areas in which its rapid response will be focused, including 18 priority points of intervention, five of which overlap with the AJA's efforts in the territories. The AJA is evaluating existing mechanisms and tools to support the GOC's efforts in the event that USAID considers it advisable and appropriate. The program is also analyzing how changes in the Central Government, such as the merger of the Special Administrative Unit for Territorial Consolidation (UACT) with the Department of Social Prosperity (DPS), may affect its implementation. In Component One, the AJA presented the Ministry of Justice and Law with the Justice House Sustainability Index, which was well-received by the participants. The Ministry of Justice and Law also accepted the proposal made by Evensen Dodge International for a public-private alliance that includes the building of Justice Houses. The AJA is working with the Ministry of Justice and Law to strengthen the Local Justice Committees in 50 municipalities and to create and strengthen the Local Justice System. The AJA is also focusing on community training on equity conciliation, with the goal of training 1,000 Community Action Boards. The program is also working to assist rural communities in the formalization and regularization of property and to strengthen the gender approach by the Rural Police in order to better address cases of domestic violence and sexual violence. The AJA's main counterparts include the Ministry of Justice and Law, the Attorney General's Office University of Knowledge and Innovation for Justice (CIJ), and the Special Administrative Unit for Territorial Consolidation (UACT). The program is working closely with these counterparts to implement its activities and to support the GOC's efforts to establish a post-conflict era. The AJA's progress during the first quarter of FY 2016 was significant, with the program making strides in its efforts to improve access to justice in Colombia. The program's work in Component One, including the presentation of the Justice House Sustainability Index and the acceptance of the proposal for a public-private alliance, was particularly notable. The AJA's focus on community training, property formalization, and gender approach strengthening also demonstrates the program's commitment to supporting the GOC's efforts to establish a post-conflict era. The AJA's work in the territories is focused on supporting the GOC's efforts to establish a post-conflict era, with a focus on justice and treatment for victims. The program is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and Law, the Attorney General's Office University of Knowledge and Innovation for Justice (CIJ), and the Special Administrative Unit for Territorial Consolidation (UACT) to implement its activities and to support the GOC's efforts.