On May 23, 2024, in Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh, the Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund (JIFF) organized a seminar to conclude the fourth funding round of justice initiatives. This event marked a significant milestone in contributing to enhanced access to law and justice for vulnerable groups in Vietnam, including women, children, ethnic minorities, and poor people.

Over one year, 17 initiatives were implemented, enhancing legal awareness for 109,541 men, women and children, providing legal advice, assistance, and representation in 3,812 cases, and producing seven policy recommendations aimed at influencing legislative and regulatory frameworks.

The seminar provided a platform for JIFF grantees to share valuable lessons learned, highlighting the support and collaboration from local governments, professional agencies, social organizations, and particularly the people in the project areas. This success was attributed to the people-centered design and implementation of the initiatives, focusing on the participation of local communities and government agencies, and fostering multi-stakeholder connections to create a sustainable and effective support environment.

JIFF

The organizations divided into 3 groups to discuss lessons learned when implementing the Phase 4 initiative, and propose ideas for similar programs in the future.

The fourth round also emphasized the effectiveness of combining multiple innovative communication methods to enhance legal understanding, including the use of information technology, and various cultural and art-based forms from core groups and communities.

As the final funding round under the JIFF framework, the grantee organizations proposed recommendations for similar programs in the future. These would focus on enhancing grassroots participation, broadening legal access for vulnerable groups, and fostering a legal support ecosystem through multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, there is a need to expand the duration and scope of these justice initiatives for greater effectiveness.

Managed by Oxfam in Vietnam, JIFF is part of the “EU Justice and Legal Empowerment Programme” funded by the European Union, aimed at strengthening the rule of law in Vietnam through a reliable and accessible justice system. JIFF has been operational from August 2018 through May 2024, across several regions including Hoa Binh, Hanoi, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Thap.