The Asia-Pacific area is a powerful gateway of economic growth and individual development. Network tower is rising, life expectancy is increasing, hunger is declining, health care and education, albeit with some limitations, are improving.
By contrast, quite remarkable progress is lacking in some areas of management, no least the rule of law and access to justice. In the Asia-Pacific, where millions of people are denied their legal rights, protracted prison without trial is common, and where the court systems frequently lack integrity, transparency, and transparency, the justice system remains a place.
Not everyone is treated equally in court or before a court. In some Asia-Pacific states, women face widespread prejudice, most vividly in Afghanistan. They do not have the same access to authorities as men do, and their judgments frequently disregard their statements and rights. They also do not have the same property rights and inheritance rights as men.
Also, excluded and minority neighborhoods – such as indigenous cultures, persons with disabilities, and remote and displaced populations find access to justice to be a difficult problem, especially in matters of civil justice. And some people in conflict-ridden nations like Myanmar are left without access to formal fairness systems.
Justice is more than regulations and courthouses, it is the basis of capital, respect and resilience. It is a crucial component of social cohesion and unity in areas. Justice is a common fine that must be provided to all, just like it is with healthcare and education.
When righteousness is denied, it is not only an individual who suffers—it is the very fabric of society that is affected. Injustice perpetuates cycles of poverty and isolation, destabilizes communities, and undermines public trust.
Unfairness compounded by corruption, financial crises, and poverty ignites hate, that drives people to rally in the roads, as witnessed just in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Building on fundamental principles, the justice gap in Asia’s then prosperous development story needs to be filled.
Justice systems may be visible and fair to everyone, going beyond traditional authorities. Proper legal systems should coexist more closely with indigenous and conventional laws that have for centuries been the core of community justice across Asia and the Pacific.
Justice for all requires greater appreciation of conventional justice systems that promote diversity and trust, as well as typical law. Inspiration and potential for propagation are provided by powerful examples.
Bangladesh’s Village Courts, for example, enable remote communities to effectively handle daily disputes and develop trust and fairness by providing attainable and reasonably priced justice in remote areas.
Other mechanisms for dispute resolutions you improve justice and, in movement contexts, ease tension. In the Kachin state of Myanmar and the Cox’s Bazar, where local negotiators and civil society organizations are negotiating housing, property, and property rights, as well as work problems, this has happened in the Rohingya tents.
Legitimate assistance and having access to data are a neglected tool for improving justice. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this view proved effective, in countries like Sri Lanka and Fiji, where technology facilitated increased access to legal information, assistance, and guidance, streamlined case management, and addressed the issue of pretrial detention.
Legal assistance and access to information must move away from being a component of a crisis response and toward mainstream justice, as can be seen from these examples.
Justice must also change in order to deal with pressing issues that have been ruled out of court for far too long. Environmental protection and climate change are two of the most obvious examples. In today’s world, justice for the planet is inseparable from justice for the people.
Farmers are losing their land as a result of rising seas, homes are destroyed, and livelihoods are ruined, and air pollution threatens the health of millions of people.
At a recent United Nations Conference on Inclusive Justice Pathways for People and Planet, Richa Shrestha, a young Indigenous climate activist from Nepal, posed a powerful question:” As a law student, I learned to defend freedom of speech and political assembly. But how do I defend the air we breathe”?
Environmental harm, conflict, climate-induced displacement, exclusion, and inequality are not unrelated issues, they are deeply intertwined, leaving millions vulnerable and deprived of basic human rights. Legal frameworks must, therefore, evolve to recognize and enhance environmental justice, address climate-related disputes, and the competence of tribunals linked to environmental cases.
States are currently being sued by citizens all over the world for failing to uphold their legal obligations to protect citizens from climate and environmental issues.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in April of last year that Switzerland had violated the rights of its citizens by failing to address climate change, setting a precedent globally. Similarly, in 2021, Germany’s highest court delivered a historic ruling that deemed the government’s climate legislation insufficient for lacking detailed emission reduction targets beyond 2030.
In Asia and the Pacific, momentum for environmental justice is also growing. Since 2017, there have been more than double the number of climate change-related legal cases in the world, with about a third coming from Asia and the Pacific.
In December 2024, the International Court of Justice held hearings on governments ‘ legal obligations to protect the environment and combat climate change, following a historic 2023 UN resolution spearheaded by Vanuatu, Pacific students and 17 other countries, including Samoa, Vietnam, Micronesia and New Zealand.
The court’s decision is anticipated to be a turning point in climate justice, possibly putting international commitments into action, in 2025.
A legitimate right and a pressing need are justice systems that are fair, truly centered on the needs of the people they are meant to serve in Asia and the Pacific.
Christophe Bahuet is deputy regional director for , Asia , and the , Pacific , and director,  , UNDP , Bangkok Regional Hub.