Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor
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The Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor is the first global organization to focus specifically on the link between exclusion, poverty and law. Legal Empowerment is independent of government influence and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Legal Empowerment is approaching global poverty from a unique perspective: the link between poverty and the inability of the poor to access acceptable, legal structures to protect economic assets and support economic activities. Legal Empowerment’s mission contributes to the Millennium Development Goals [1]. Its work will complement, rather than duplicate, the efforts of other aid organizations and institutions. The goal is not to send more money to developing countries, but to help governments and grassroot organizations create an environment that helps people work themselves out of poverty.
Legal Empowerment, co-chaired by former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright and Hernando de Soto, Peruvian economist and founder of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD), was launched in 2005 by a group of developing and industrialized countries including Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom, and has a mandate to complete its work in 2008.
[edit] Members
Legal Empowerment is made up of influential policymakers and practitioners who are uniquely well positioned to advocate among their peers for legal reforms in developing countries. Given its unique structure, Legal Empowerment is a powerful catalyst for change among global leaders and within the development community.
Commissioners
Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson, BRAC, Bangladesh
Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs for Canada
Leszek Balcerowicz, President of the National Bank of Poland
Lahkdar Brahimi, former Special Representative to the U.N. Secretary General
Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, United Kingdom
Fernando Cardoso, former President of Brazil
Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Iran
Ashraf Ghani, Dean of Kabul University and former Minister of Finance for Afghanistan
Prince Hassan bin Talal, President of the Club of Rome
Muhammad Medhat Hassanein, former Minister of Finance for Egypt
Hilde Frafjord Johnson, former Minister of International Development, Norway
Anthony Kennedy, Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court
Allan Larsson, former Minister of Finance for Sweden
Clotilde Aniouvi Medegan Nougbode, President of the High Court of Benin
Benjamin Mkapa, former President of the United Repulic of Tanzania
Mike Moore, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, former Director General of the WTO
Milinda Moragoda, former Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology, Sri Lanka
Syed Tanwir H. Naqvi, former Chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau of Pakistan
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former High Commissioner of Human Rights
Arjun Sengupta, Chairman of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector of India, United Nations Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty
Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Housing, Republic of South Africa
Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University, USA
Erna Witoelar, UN Special Ambassador for MDGs in Asia & the Pacific
Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico
Board of Advisers
Robert Annibale, Global Director of Microfinance, Citigroup Marek Belka, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Diego Hidalgo, Founder, Club of Madrid Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank Group Jean Lemierre, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank Kumi Naidoo, CEO, CIVICUS Sheela Patel, Founder, Society for the Promotion of Area Resources (SPARC) Jan Peterson, Chair, Huairou Commission Juan Somavia, Director, International Labor Organization Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN HABITAT Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues John Watson, President, CARE Canada Paul Wolfowitz, President, World Bank Francisco Garza Zambrano, President, Cemex North America
[edit] Organization
The only way to break new ground on legal empowerment, is to learn from the experiences of those who live and work in slums and settlements around the world. The Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor is partnering with grassroots organizations, governments and institutions to hear about the legal challenges faced by the poor. National and Regional Consultations are hosted in Africa, South and Central Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. These national and regional processes ground the work of Legal Empowerment in local realities, and contribute to recommendations that reflect diverse cultural, socio-economic and political environments.
Legal Empowerment brings together some of the world's greatest experts and practicioners into Working Groups organized around the key areas of Legal Empowerment’s work: Rule of Law and Access to Justice Property Rights Labor Rights Entrepreneurship Road Maps for Implementation of Reforms
These five groups collaborate with international and civil society organizations, donor governments and countries that have implemented reforms, analyzing lessons learned from past projects and participating in ongoing development initiatives.
