New WJP data identifies rule of law challenges

This past quarter the World Justice Project (WJP) released a series of reports providing more in-depth, country-level, and subnational rule of law data than ever before. Government reformers and communities are embracing our data and the innovations of local champions we have identified in a variety of exciting ways around the world.  

Mexico States Rule of Law Index Inspires Collaboration and Hope 

Influential officials from opposing political parties and other leaders celebrated the impact of WJP’s Mexico States Rule of Law Index at the June 7 launch of its fifth annual edition. This study of the rule of law at the state level is empowering state governments, the private sector, and civil society to identify rule of law reform priorities. It’s also inspiring cooperation to improve the quality of life for Mexicans across the country, event participants agreed. In just five years, federal agencies and 28 states have employed the Mexico States Index to diagnose governance gaps, design reforms, and measure progress. The uptake and the latest results underscore the demand for and utility of subnational rule of law data, even in extremely challenging rule of law contexts. 

First-Of-Its-Kind Corruption Report Documents People’s Experiences and Attitudes Across the Caribbean 

In April, we broke new ground in investigating graft in small states with the publication of Corruption in the Caribbean: Insights from the General Public 2022. The first-of-its-kind report in the region documents people’s experiences with and attitudes toward corruption, bribery, vote buying, and more. Covering corruption in both the public and private sectors, the report stirred conversation around the region. In Guyana, rankings around bribery and corruption in political parties received scrutiny, while in Suriname, rankings on political corruption and nepotism attracted media attention. Meanwhile in The Bahamas, The Tribune interviewed public officials about our data showing the perceptions of corruption in the country.  

Rule of Law Country Reports Reveal Authoritarian Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean 

In May, we launched a series of in-depth Rule of Law reports covering wide-ranging topics in 26 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our data shows that in most countries a majority of people say top government officials are attacking and discrediting the media and civil society organizations. This is just one finding from reports that illuminate people’s views on broad authoritarian trends in the region, along with additional insights on corruption, fundamental freedoms, crime victimization, security, and access to justice in each country. 

These new country reports represent WJP’s effort to go deeper than ever before in analyzing rule of law trends and have generated conversation in the region on people’s trust in the government.  

A World Justice Challenge Winner Addresses the Evolving Threats to LGBTQ+ Communities  

Since winning the World Justice Challenge’s “Data for Justice” Prize last June, InReach has encountered a new set of challenges in its work supporting persecuted LGBTQ+ people. While the organization’s app was originally designed to support refugees once they arrive in North America, LGBTQ+ people in the United States now face increased vulnerability amidst a growing trend of discriminatory legislation. Last week in a WJP webinar, InReach’s co-founder and executive director shared how the organization has adjusted their work to face these challenges—and how winning the Challenge has helped. The session was the first of five webinars WJP will host over the summer featuring updates from the 2022 World Justice Challenge winners. 

Join us for the rest of the series, starting with our next webinar on July 12 at 11am ET. Red Dot Foundation will share how they’ve leveraged their Challenge win to dramatically expand the reach of their Safecity app. Community leaders in more than 10 countries are now using the location-based crowd map to mobilize communities and combat sexual and gender-based violence.

Learn about upcoming webinars on people-centered justice, corruption, and criminal justice reform. 

Using Justice Data to Strengthen Rule of Law in Asia Pacific 

Hours from now, WJP will co-host an official side-event at the ‘Justice Affairs Diplomacy’ Ministerial Forum during the ASEAN-Japan Special Meeting of Justice Ministers. The event will explore best practices and opportunities for using data to shape and evaluate justice sector reforms. It is the latest in a string of events and developments reflecting momentum in WJP’s engagement in the Asia Pacific region. These include a recent dialogue on evidence-based rule of law policy at the Thailand Ministry of Justice’s national conference and the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth Lawyers Association to work together to improve judicial independence, tackle misinformation, and strengthen rule of law in Asia Pacific and elsewhere.  

Coming Up...

Next week WJP will release Part 1 of a new justice data graphical report that digs deeper than ever into the barriers to justice faced by 1.4 billion people around the world. Join us at 9:30am ET on July 12 during the UN High-Level Political Forum to hear our latest people-centered justice findings.  

In August, WJP is taking our call to reinvigorate the rule of law in the United States to the American Bar Association’s annual conference in Denver. WJP will address both the National Conference of Bar Presidents and the Young Lawyers Division and present new tools to promote rule of law values. Drop us a line at [email protected] if you are looking for rule of law resources for your own work.  

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