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Calendar Updated: October 24, 2008
MDTF Activities > Justice Sector Reform And Modernization - Major Support From Development Partners Announced

Justice Sector Reform And Modernization - Major Support From Development Partners Announced

Belgrade, October 24, 2008 – A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between the World Bank, the Government of Serbia and a group of bilateral donors to advance justice sector reform and modernization in Serbia. Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have expressed their intent to contribute about 2.75 Million Euro to a Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for Justice Sector Support for Serbia, to be administered and executed by the World Bank. The Memorandum was signed by Jane Armitage, the World Bank Country Director and Regional Coordinator for South-East Europe; Snežana Malović, the Minister of Justice, and representatives of contributing donors.

Donors (in alphabetical order) and their contributions will comprise: Denmark 300,000 Euro; Norway 250,000 Euro; Slovenia 100,000 Euro; Spain 490,000 Euro through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation; Switzerland 400,000 Euros through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; the United Kingdom about 1.2 million Euro through its Department for International Development (DFID).

Effective justice systems are important for economic and social development: they clarify the “rules of the game”; resolve disputes and enforce contracts; protect the rights of individuals and firms, enable entrepreneurship and private sector development; enforce laws justly and impartially; and restrain arbitrary state behavior.

The MDTF will accelerate Serbia’s justice sector-related EU integration by (a) complementing support to Serbia from the European Commission and (b) strengthening justice sector aid coordination and aid effectiveness. The MDTF’s four components will provide technical support to the Ministry of Justice, the courts and prosecutors to strengthen: (i) institutional capacity; (ii) resource management and aid coordination; (iii) the legal and institutional environment; and (iv) the management of the physical and IT facilities of courts and prosecutor offices.