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Discussions on establishing cooperation in Senegal

Published: January 28, 2019

In 2018, the IRZ decided in close coordination with the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) to expand its activities to West Africa. The plan is to carry out a pilot project in Senegal, which will be financed by the BMJV.

With this in mind, the IRZ paid an initial visit to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, from 13 to 17 January 2019 to determine requirements. During the visit, several talks were held with various institutions in order to determine requirements and explore the potential for future cooperation. The IRZ attended talks at the Ministry of Justice of Senegal, at the prison authorities and at the law academy. The IRZ also met the German Embassy, the EU delegation in Senegal and other German organisations active in Senegal.

The discussions were very open and the Senegalese partners seemed extremely interested in working with the IRZ. Senegal is a reliable democracy and an anchor of stability in West Africa and has already initiated some important reforms in the justice system. The progress of the reform process often suffers more from a lack of staff and financial resources than from a lack of support from the parties involved.

By supplying its expertise and advice, the IRZ will be able to provide long-term support for the reforms of the Senegalese justice system. The objective is to develop constitutional and legally watertight structures, in order to make a contribution towards economic development and stable home affairs and foreign policies in the country and in the entire region.

The requirements of the Senegalese justice sector are considerable. There is potential for cooperation in the area of criminal law and the prison system, as well as in the field of further training for judges.

In the prison system, the focus is in particular on improving the reintegration of prisoners and on providing further training for prison staff. In addition, detention conditions do not fulfil international human rights standards, which

means that the subject of humanising the prison system also needs to be addressed. In order to reduce the massive overcrowding of Senegalese prisons, subjects including relaxing imprisonment conditions and alternative forms of punishment are also being discussed. The expertise of the IRZ could also be drawn on here.

The subject of education and training for judges also concerns the question of the independence of the justice system. In this respect, the IRZ can also draw on its experiences from various projects, including in North Africa.

Presidential elections will be held in Senegal in February/March. This means that, in the medium term, the IRZ is planning to start its cooperation with the country with a few very targeted activities.