UNDP's PACE Justice Programme Convenes High-Level Dialogue to Advance Justice Reform

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Senior justice officials from the Caribbean and Europe were in Barbados from February 13 – 14 for the inaugural PACE Justice Attorneys General Roundtable – a platform to help drive the modernization of legal systems, procedural reform and system-wide efficiency in the Caribbean justice sector.

The Roundtable is spearheaded by PACE Justice – a regional criminal justice reform programme funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

Speaking during the opening session on February 13, Attorney General of Barbados, Hon. Dale Marshall, said there has been a tremendous effort in recent years to address criminal case backlog through cooperation between countries. Noting that together countries have the expertise and influence to drive meaningful reform, he highlighted the Needhams Point Declaration as an important roadmap to orient these efforts.

“All of these interventions are timely,” he said, as he acknowledged the progress already achieved through the PACE Justice programme. “If our criminal justice system is not seen as being effective and efficient, it will erode the confidence of the public. And if we erode the confidence of the public, then we have an even bigger challenge – the rule of law will be challenged.”

H.E. Malgorzata Wasilewska, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, which facilitated the participation of legal expertise from Spain in the Roundtable. “Increasing caseloads, backlogged courts, and the demand for more efficient and transparent judicial processes are social priorities on both sides of the Atlantic, and we intend to pursue joint efforts in the quest for innovative, forward-thinking solutions,” she said. “Today’s conversations will allow us to reflect on the lessons learned from different jurisdictions and examine how best to balance efficiency with fairness.”

Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Stephanie Ziebell, emphasized UNDP’s commitment to facilitating dialogue and technical exchanges to support problem-solving. She said, “By bringing together Attorneys General from across the region, this Roundtable provides a unique platform to share best practices, discuss common challenges, and collaboratively explore solutions. This is a rare and valuable opportunity for collective problem-solving, peer exchange, and forging stronger regional partnerships.”

Team Lead of UNDP’s PACE Justice Programme, Christalle Gemon, highlighted the Roundtable as a learning mechanism. “While each country legal framework has its differences, the challenges are not isolated. Many of the solutions that individual countries seek already exist within the region. What is needed is a structured approach to harness and apply them,” she said, noting that the Roundtable is designed to meet this need.  

This inaugural gathering had the participation of senior justice officials from jurisdictions such as Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Topics for discussion included judge-alone trials, constitutional reform, plea negotiation and other justice sector best practices.

The Partnership of the Caribbean and the European Union (PACE Justice) programme was launched in October 2023 and aims to reduce case backlogs in the criminal justice system by enhancing the institutional capacities of prosecutors, courts, prisons and police across the Caribbean. The programme is supported by governments and key justice decisionmakers in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as regional justice bodies.