The U.S. Institute of Peace is closely monitoring the evolving situation with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In practicing prevention in consideration of our team and guests, we changed the format for this event to webcast-only.

As we enter a new decade, troubling developments around the rule of law continue to raise concerns for the future of fair and functioning societies. Since 2009, the World Justice Project (WJP) has documented these trends in its annual WJP Rule of Law Index, now covering 128 countries and jurisdictions in the new 2020 edition. Based on more than 130,000 household surveys and 4,000 legal practitioner and expert surveys worldwide,the 2020 Index provides citizens, governments, donors, businesses, and civil society organizations around the world with a comprehensive comparative analysis of countries’ adherence to universal rule of law principles.

On March 11, USIP and the World Justice Project (WJP) delved into the findings from the WJP Rule of Law Index 2020. WJP’s chief research officer reviewed important insights and data trends from the report. This was followed by a panel discussion on the underlying factors behind the results, as well as the policy implications for those invested in strengthening the rule of law. 

Continue the conversation on Twitter with #ROLIndex.

Speakers

Welcoming Remarks

  • David Yang
    Vice President, Applied Conflict Transformation, U.S. Institute of Peace

Remarks

  • Ted Piccone
    Chief Engagement Officer, World Justice Project

Keynote Address

  • Joe Foti
    Chief Research Officer, Open Government Partnership

Overview of Rule of Law Index 2020 Key Findings

  • Alejandro Ponce
    Chief Research Officer, World Justice Project

Panel Discussion

  • Philippe Leroux-Martin
    Director, Governance, Justice & Security, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Maria Stephan
    Director of Nonviolent Action, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Margaret Lewis
    Professor of Law, Seton Hall University
  • Elizabeth Andersen
    Executive Director, World Justice Project

Related Publications

In the Pacific, Corruption and Poor Policing Open a Door to China

In the Pacific, Corruption and Poor Policing Open a Door to China

Thursday, February 8, 2024

By: Gordon Peake, Ph.D.

After the Pacific’s largest island nation, Papua New Guinea, recently suffered deadly rioting that included police, an official last week announced a Chinese offer to help strengthen its police force. That sequence exemplifies a rising challenge for democracy and stability in the Pacific: Many island nations suffer corruption and deficient policing that undermines the rule of law. This gap in responsive governance lets China seek influence through technical assistance drawn from its authoritarian model of policing. In response, democracies must reshape narrow, outdated approaches to security assistance.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceJustice, Security & Rule of Law

Ask the Experts: How to Stop Transnational Crime Networks in Southeast Asia

Ask the Experts: How to Stop Transnational Crime Networks in Southeast Asia

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

By: Andrew Cheatham;  Jason Tower

In recent years, transnational criminal networks have built a web of influence throughout Southeast Asia to facilitate their illicit gambling, fraud and human trafficking operations. And while these networks emanate from several countries in the region — particularly Myanmar — their reach is global. In the United States alone, victims have already lost several billion dollars to scams. USIP’s Andrew Cheatham and Jason Tower discuss how these large-scale networks operate, how the 2021 military coup in Myanmar offered the networks a safe haven for their illicit activities, and how the United States can take the lead on addressing this issue.

Type: Blog

Justice, Security & Rule of Law

China’s Metastasizing Myanmar Problem

China’s Metastasizing Myanmar Problem

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

By: Jason Tower

The 2021 military coup in Myanmar not only triggered an unprecedented nationwide revolt against military rule but is increasingly precipitating challenges to global security. The junta’s ineffectual rule has resulted in the rise of cross-border human trafficking and cyber scams, which have impacted almost every corner of the globe, taking an especially heavy toll on China’s people while also benefiting organized Chinese crime groups. Beijing’s response to the situation in Myanmar has been mixed. While it has backed the junta, China has also hedged by supporting some of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed organizations, extending Chinese influence in the country.

Type: Analysis

Global PolicyJustice, Security & Rule of Law

Tracking the Taliban's (Mis)Treatment of Women

Tracking the Taliban's (Mis)Treatment of Women

Friday, June 30, 2023

When Afghan women step out of their homes, everywhere they look they see a range of Taliban restrictions affecting all aspects of society and their lives — from education and employment to public services and access to justice. This interactive graphic depicts what they see through their burqas — the breadth of the Taliban’s gender apartheid — and serves as a portal to learning more about Taliban restrictions on women’s social and political life. Along with a description of the types of restrictions the Taliban have imposed, clicking on an “X” links to USIP’s documentation of the relevant decrees, orders and edicts issued by the Taliban since they took power in August 2021.

Type: Blog

GenderHuman RightsJustice, Security & Rule of LawViolent Extremism

View All Publications