Law and Justice NGO Budget Forum - Hailed a Success by NGOs
NGO partners at the May Budget forum
The PNG Law and Justice sector's Community Justice Liaison Unit (CJLU), Law and Justice NGO budget forum staged from the 9th and 10th May at Hideaway Hotel, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea has been hailed by the Law and Justice sector NGOs as a success. The Law and Justice NGOs highlighted the fact that this is the first ever forum that NGOs in the law and justice have been able to meet with the relevant formal law and Justice sector agencies responsible for the law and justice service delivery.
CJLU hosted the Law and Justice NGO Budget forum as a lead up to the Government of PNG budget process and the drafting of the Project Formulation documents by the law and Justice Sector agencies for their 2008 development Budget bids. The forum was organized with the following objectives:
· Development of relationship between NGOs and the Corporate planners in agencies so that agencies can effectively engage with NGOs/ CSOs in the planning process for the 2008 Budget;
· Be a forum in which appropriate formal law and justice sector can connect with the relevant NGOs involved in Service delivery; and
· For CJLU, it is about facilitating a process or avenue in which formal law and justice agencies can effectively connect and enable CSOs to take part in the planning and implementation of agency activities in 2008.
The Law and Justice sector agencies that undertook presentations of their corporate plans included, Correctional Services, Police, Ombudsmen Commission, Department of Justice and Attorney General, National Judicial Services, Magisterial Services and National Planning and Monitoring. The presentation of agency's corporate plans was able to highlight the point of entry for the NGOs in terms of Agencies corporate plans that calls for community engagement and participation.
NGOs present included Eastern Highlands Family Voice, East New Britain Social Action Committee, YWCA, Caritas PNG, Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum, Peace Foundation Melanesia and Bougainville Inter-church Women's Forum, St Arnold Janssen Centre, Community Development Agency, Haus Ruth, Catholic Family Life
Mrs Janelley Gideon from YWCA appalled the forum and the fact that the NGOs appreciate the work done by formal law and Justice agencies and the presentations of the agency corporate provided some linkage and way forward. Judy Uri from Family Voice raised that "It is first of its kind, and discussions between NGOs and the formal law and justice agencies need to be harnessed as we progress things" . Dominic Tomar, Assistant Commissioner of the Correctional Services and also a member of the working group, highlighted "the bridge connecting agencies to the Law and Justice NGOs is being built, this is still an evolving process, but it is happening through CJLU". Challenged also the NGOs present to law and justice NGOs to work together to serve the people.
For Clarence Denzy, team leader of the Bougainville Peace Foundation Program, the occasion is an eye opener and also assist him in terms of capacity development and the approach and the process CJLU has taken.
Mr Clivson Philip, the Register of the District Court in PNG, highlighted that "the court clerks in the District courts throughout the country have to be clients oriented and needed to interact more with the NGOs in relation to legal services such as Court forms. "Some of this court services can also be much more effectively offered through NGOs"
The Forum also came up with possible projects that would see a collaboration between NGOs in the Law and Justice sector and the formal law and Justice agencies. This included the following:
Project titled | Formal sector agency - Lead Agency | NGOs involved/agencies outside the sector |
1.Roles and responsibilities of agencies, NGOs and Community in relation to family and sexual Violence, Delivery of Family and Sexual Violence Training | Police, Family and Sexual Violence AMT, NJSS | Haus Ruth, ICRAF, Catholic Family Services, NCD Welfare |
2. Summons Drafting course for CSOs and FBOs at Regional Level | Magisterial Services | East New Britain Social action Committee, Haus Ruth, Wide Bay Conservation project, East New Britain Sexual Offence Squad, Family Voice |
3. Village Court and CBC partnership with CSOs | DJAG - CBC, and Village Courts | Peace Foundation Melanesia, Bougainville Interchurch Women's Forum, Community Development Agency |
4. Rehabilitation and Reintegration of offenders | Correctional Services | Half Way House, YWCA, Ginigoada, Salvation Army, St Arnold Centre |
5. Support to Victims of Crime Through the Juvenile Justice Centres | Police/ NJSS/MS | ICRAF |
6. Strengthen OC External Relations Through NGOS | Ombudsmen Commision | Family Support Centre - Lae, Caritas (PNG), Catholic Family Services |
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The above projects that evolved out of the Law and Justice Budget Forum will be taken through the PFD process by the relevant lead agencies into the 2008 Development Budget process.
For further Information contact Miss Betty Camilus on 323 3098/ 323 3103 or email: betty.camilus@cjlu.org.pg
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