The World Justice Project

Aschool collapsed in Haiti on November 7, 2008, burying hundreds of children and their teachers in rubble. Nearly 100 people died and more than 160 were injured. Days later a second school collapsed, injuring nine more people. Since then, false alarms caused students to flee at least two other schools—in some cases by jumping out of windows—out of fear that these buildings, too, were about to give way. One student died of a heart attack. These tragic events, which captured international attention for days, happened because the rule of law does not apply to engineering and construction in Haiti.

In news reports from the scene, Rene Preval, president of Haiti, attributed the collapses to faulty construction methods and a lack of government oversight. Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis, agreed, saying that because Haiti fails to enforce its building codes, such standards in effect do not exist. Both officials warned that many other buildings could be at risk of collapse for similar reasons.

Dispatches from Haiti also show that corruption contributes to the precariousness of that country’s structures. Engineers interviewed at the scene of the first school collapse suggested that building inspectors visit construction sites only to collect bribes, and that developers skimp on materials needed to make structures sound, no matter the risk to the public.

Many people associate the concept of the “rule of law” only with the legal profession, but the school collapses in Haiti illustrate the importance of the rule of law to other disciplines such as engineering and construction, not to mention education. Better rules and standards for the design and construction of buildings, enforcement of those standards, and anticorruption measures—which are essential to a community based on the rule of law—would have assured the proper design and construction of these schools and provided a safe place for teachers to educate children.

The connection between the rule of law and various disciplines supports the complimentary premises of the World Justice Project: (1) the rule of law is the foundation of communities of opportunity and equity, and (2) multidisciplinary collaboration is the most effective way to advance the rule of law.

The World Justice Project (WJP) was founded about two years ago to show that the work of all disciplines depends on the rule of law and to engage representatives of various disciplines in efforts to advance the concept worldwide. Most disciplines, and especially engineers, have ratified the WJP premises and goals. In addition to the American Society of Civil Engineers, which was an early participant in the project, sponsors include organizations representing business, education, human rights, labor, law, and public health.

To facilitate a common understanding of the rule of law, the WJP describes this concept according to four universal principles:

All disciplines are stakeholders in advancing the rule of law as described by these principles because without them no discipline can do its work and achieve its goals. These principles are as necessary for engineers to design and build safe structures and machines as they are for doctors to distribute medicine to the sick, for entrepreneurs to start a business, or for humanitarian organizations to protect people’s rights. The WJP recognizes that the rule of law is the common foundation for all disciplines, and it gives us a mechanism to strengthen this foundation together.

In its first phase, the WJP had four programs. It held multidisciplinary outreach meetings in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America to begin the process of building a multinational, multidisciplinary constituency that supports the rule of law. These meetings brought together senior representatives of various disciplines to learn about the ways in which the rule of law is important to the work of different groups, and to identify opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance the rule of law.

The WJP also sponsored a scholarship program, which produced research by two teams of leading international scholars, including two Nobel Prize winners. This scholarship examines the relationship between the rule of law and economic, political, and social development.

The WJP developed an index to assess countries’ adherence to the rule of law. This tool gives leaders in government, civil society, and business a tool with which to make informed decisions about where and how to make strategic investments in the rule of law and to more effectively address problems that obstruct all disciplines’ work, such as violence, corruption, sickness, poverty, and ignorance. The index was pilot tested in six countries this year and will be administered in 100 countries within three years.

Finally, in July 2008 the WJP held the World Justice Forum in Vienna. The forum brought together 450 leaders from 83 countries representing 17 disciplines. At the forum, participants incubated more than 90 concrete programs to strengthen the rule of law in every region of the world, including some programs devised by engineers in attendance. The WJP is providing seed money to some of these programs through its Opportunity Fund, and participants will report on the progress of their programs at the next World Justice Forum, which will be held in fall 2009. Based on lessons learned from the first round of programs and new information gleaned from the Rule of Law Index, participants will develop a second round of multidisciplinary programs that will be implemented the following year. In this way, the World Justice Forum will facilitate a virtuous cycle of program development and refinement that makes a difference around the world.

The WJP is planning for its second phase. McKinsey and Company is helping the WJP to develop a strategic plan for its activities, which will include ongoing multidisciplinary outreach, the Rule of Law Index, and the second World Justice Forum. With the continued commitment and engagement of various disciplines, the WJP will improve our knowledge of how the rule of law affects communities and how we can work together to advance the rule of law to address our communities’ worst problems.

News coverage of the school collapses in Haiti has tapered off, but Haiti’s schools and other structures remain unsafe and eventually will claim more lives. This problem is hardly unique to Haiti. Many countries around the world have similar deficiencies in the rule of law that lead to dangerous buildings, as well as other serious problems. Strengthening the rule of law to address these problems will not be easy, especially if one discipline labors alone. To be successful, engineers, government officials, builders, educators, lawyers, and members of other relevant disciplines must work together to improve building standards, assure the enforcement of those standards, and root out corruption. Together, these disciplines will have greater expertise, resources, and influence. Together, they will be more likely to give the next generation of children in Haiti—and in many other countries—a safe place to learn.