International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)  2021-2025 International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)  2021-2025 - International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) 2021-2025 The International Commission of Jurists has applied for continued and increased core support of a total amount of 50 million SEK for the implementation of its new strategic plan and results framework for the period 2021-2025. The total budget for the period amounts to approximately 414 million SEK.

The mandate of ICJ is to globally advocate for justice and human rights. The mission of the ICJ is:

To ensure that people everywhere can benefit equally from the rule of law and fully enjoy their human rights, and if those rights are violated can seek and receive adequate remedies from courts that are independent, impartial, fair, and effective.

To work for the progressive development and implementation of international human rights law and standards in response to the great threats to human life and dignity of our times, including new challenges posed by catastrophic climate change, the resurgence of authoritarian populism, global pandemics, mass movements of people, and abuse of cyber technologies.

To assist judges, lawyers and prosecutors to be independent, impartial, and free to carry out their professional duties, in order to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights through the rule of law.

The ICJ’s mission is in the recently endorsed strategic plan for 2021-2025, being operationalised through four strategic objectives:

i) Develop, defend, and strengthen international institutions, instruments and standards on rule of law and human rights,

ii) Improve domestic implementation of, and compliance with, international law and standards,

iii) Bolster the effectiveness and independence of judges and lawyers, and

iv) Improve access to justice for all and accountability.

The ICJ undertakes a wide range of activities in order to obtain the impact of their mission, including: media engagement; trial observation; strategic litigation; country specific studies and fact-finding focused on overcoming systemic barriers to human rights; capacity strengthening in relation to the judiciary and legal profession; addressing normative gaps for the independence and accountability of judges and lawyers in order to adhere to international human rights law; implementing judicial dialogues in order for judges and attorneys to work more effectively to deliver justice to victims of human rights violations; carry out advocacy work with governments to initiate reform of the judiciary and more specific laws and practices; capacity development of civil society organisations, carry out advocacy with supranational institutions including the UN, the EU, African Union, ASEAN and OAS. Internationella Juristkommissionen (ICJ) har ansökt om fortsatt kärnstöd om totalt 50 miljoner SEK för att genomföra sin verksamhet i enlighet med deras strategiska plan och resultatramverk för perioden 2021-2025. ICJ's totala budget för perioden uppgår till cirka 414 miljoner SEK.

ICJ verkar på internationell normativ nivå inom ramen för FN's system för mänskliga rättigheter, på regional normativ nivå inom regionala system för mänskliga rättigheter samt på nationell nivå med både normativt och tekniskt stöd till framför allt domare och advokater, institutioner inom rättssektorn, advokatsamfund och civilsamhällesorganisationer.

ICJs övergripande mål med verksamheten är att stödja och främja mänskliga rättigheter och rättsstatens principer med det specifika uppdraget:

1. Att säkerställa att människor överallt fullt ut åtnjuter sina mänskliga rättigheter, och om dessa rättigheter kränks kan söka och få adekvat skadestånd från domstolar som är oberoende, opartiska, rättvisa och effektiva.

2. Att arbeta för en progressiv utveckling och genomförande av internationell lagstiftning och standarder för mänskliga rättigheter, inklusive nya utmaningar som kan påverka dessa.  

3. Att stärka domare, advokater och åklagare att agera oberoende, opartiskt och fritt i sitt yrkesutövandet för att säkerställa skydd och främjande av de mänskliga rättigheterna och i enlighet med rättsstatens principer. 

I enlighet med sin strategiska plan har ICJ utarbetat fyra strategiska mål för sin verksamhet: 

1) Utveckla, försvara och stärka internationella institutioner, instrument och standarder för  mänskliga rättigheter och rättsstatens principer;
2) Förbättra nationellt genomförande och efterlevnad av internationell lagstiftning och standarder;
3) Stärka domare och advokaters effektivitet och oberoende;
4) Förbättra tillgången till rättvisa för alla samt stärkt ansvarsutkrävande.

Den totala budgeten för 2021-2025 uppgår till uppskattningsvis 414.5 miljoner svenska kronor. Sida avser bidra med 50 MSEK för hela perioden. Övriga större givare är USA, EU, Un Women, Open Society Foundations, Canada och Norge. The overall objective of ICJ is to support and advance the rule of law and human rights. The mission of ICJ identifies in what areas ICJ is engaged to contribute to the overall objective:
1. To ensure that people everywhere can benefit equally from the rule of law and fully enjoy their human rights, and if those rights are violated can seek and receive adequate remedies from courts that are independent, impartial, fair, and effective.
2. To work for the progressive development and implementation of international human rights law and standards in response to the great threats to human life and dignity of our times, including new challenges posed by catastrophic climate change, the resurgence of authoritarian populism, global pandemics, mass movements of people, and abuse of cyber technologies.
3. To assist judges, lawyers and prosecutors to be independent, impartial, and free to carry out their professional duties, in order to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights through the rule of law.
The mission is operationalised in four strategic goals. Each goal has several expected outputs and outcomes:
Strategic Goal 1
Develop, defend, and strengthen international institutions, instruments and standards on rule of law and human rights 
The first strategic goal has a range of activities in order to obtain its objective, including: organization of legal forum, research and investigation, partnership building, legal training material, advocacy and capacity building. The desired outputs are:
International institutions are better able to protect and promote human rights globally and regionally Human rights defenders, especially those representing marginalized communities, are more effectively represented International legal norms are promulgated and understood globally and used by human rights defenders
These outputs will expectantly lead to following outcomes i) International institutions are more effective in implementing the rules-based global order, and ii) International norms are developed to better protect the rights of people, especially those from marginalized communities
Strategic Goal 2 
Improve domestic implementation of, and compliance with, international law and standards
The second strategic goal has following activities: Legal training material, research and investigation, capacity building and development, international and regional forum, strategic litigation, trial observations, engagement with local media and advocacy. These activities will hopefully lead to three outputs, including:
Domestic legislation complies with international standards International standards are implemented in practice Justice actors and human rights defenders are familiar with and can use international standards at the domestic level
The sought after outcomes are i) Respect for human rights law has improved, and ii) Commitment to international rule of law has increased.
Strategic Goal 3 
Bolster the effectiveness and independence of judges and lawyers
Activities for strategic goal three includes: capacity building and development, research and investigation, advocacy, trial observations and judicial dialogue. The wanted outputs from these activities are:
Judges and lawyers can investigate, question and assess evidence and make decisions on the basis of the law and the facts An independent, self-governing legal profession and legal professional associations are provided The adoption and implementation of mechanisms and processes to hold judicial institutions and individual judges accountable are promoted
The outcomes intended are that i) Judges, prosecutors, and lawyers apply the law fairly and independently, and ii) Judges, prosecutors, and lawyers are protected in law and in practice for operating with appropriate independence, professionalism and impartiality.
Strategic Goal 4 
Improve access to justice for all and accountability 
Activities for strategic goal four comprises: organisation of legal forum, research and investigation, advocacy, strategic litigation, legal training material, trial monitoring and partnership building. The sought after outputs from these activities consists of:
Rights holders are better informed about how to demand accountability for violations Lawyers and human rights defenders are better equipped to use the law to seek accountability for their clients Law enforcement and investigative mechanisms have the authority and capacity to pursue justice
The outcome of these outputs are aimed to be i) Rights holders have better access to justice without discrimination, and ii) Government, States and non-State actors are held accountable for their actions, and finally iii) Individual perpetrators are held accountable.