KINGSTON, Jamaica – United Nations resident coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative, Bruno Pouezat, has offered to help the Ministry of Justice implement the recommendations of the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry Report.

Pouezat said that the UN was prepared to provide assistance with coordinating the implementation of interventions in a cohesive manner.

He said the UN was in the final stages of completing the new five-year country plan for Jamaica and that it was a good time for the Ministry of Justice to indicate its areas of need.

A news release from the Justice Ministry stated that portfolio Minister Delroy Chuck told  Pouezat that there was an immediate need to establish two restorative justice centres in Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town, which were adversely affected by the events of 2010 in which security forces led an operation to apprehend then Tivoli strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

The ministry said the restorative justice interventions are currently being employed in 10 communities throughout Jamaica, three of which are in Kingston and St Andrew – specifically the communities of Trench Town, August Town and Tower Hill.

The programme is also in the parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon, Westmoreland, and St James.

Chuck is the chair of the subcommittee that was established by Cabinet in June, to determine the structures that would be needed to implement the recommendations in the report of the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry.

Minister Chuck also reportedly pointed to the National Human Rights Institute, which the ministry intends to establish, noting that the ministry would welcome support in setting up the institute and also in training of the judiciary, justices of the peace and leaders from other areas of human rights.

“We have started sensitisation on the ground with community leaders across Jamaica but we need to train these leaders to be able to function as part of the restorative justice process in their communities,” Chick said.

Meanwhile, representatives from UNAIDS, UNFPA and UNICEF provided the minister of justice and Permanent Secretary Carol Palmer with an update on their programme of work in Jamaica and the specific areas of intervention that relate to the justice sector during a courtesy call on Tuesday.