Increasing Access to Justice for Vulnerable Populations in the Central African Republic

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to increase basic access to justice in rural regions and for vulnerable populations throughout the Central African Republic.Central Africans in remote and conflict-affected communities continue to lack basic access to justice services and require assistance relating to crimes against vulnerable populations, such as children, elderly, widows, and orphans, LGBTQI+, and victims of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV). Despite substantial progress in recent years, CARs justice institutions lack the infrastructure and resources to provide legal services to a substantial section of the countrys population. CAR remote populations possess limited knowledge of how court system operations, available legal protections, and difficulty accessing courts with limited functionality. The absence of accessible, functional, and credible justice institutions has a profound impact on the lives of marginalized Central African populations as the risk of physical violence remains.