Leaders to address the global decline of rule of law

MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: [email protected]

 

World Justice Forum 2022

Leaders to address the global decline of rule of law

 

(THE HAGUE and ONLINE) – Dozens of leaders, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Microsoft President Brad Smith, European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová, and Kenyan Chief Justice Martha K. Koome will address the 2022 World Justice Forum on how to confront deep and widening threats to the rule of law. Three days of mainstage events run May 31 – June 2, 2022.

WHAT

Almost 85% of the world’s population now live in a country where rule of law is declining, according to the World Justice Project 2021 Rule of Law Index. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these trends, including rising authoritarianism, declining civic space, delayed justice, and other longstanding governance weaknesses.

World Justice Forum 2022: Building More Just Communities will gather hundreds of justice practitioners and thought leaders from around the world to identify the roots of current rule of law crises, effective approaches to address them, and actions that governments, civil society, and the private sector can take to reverse current backsliding. Leaders from government, civil society, business, and philanthropy will feed their recommendations into the 2023 UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit.  

The Forum’s intersecting themes are 1) Anticorruption & Open Government, 2) Access to Justice, and 3) Equal Rights & Nondiscrimination.

Offerings include:

• Live announcement of the World Justice Project’s 2022 Rule of Law Award to honor extraordinary achievement in countering disinformation (May 31)
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg Legacy Keynote with U.S. racial justice champion Sherrilyn Ifill  (June 2)
• 8 Plenaries, including, “The Global State of the Rule of Law,” (May 31) “Realizing Tech for Good: Political, Legal, and Ethical Challenges,” (May 31) and “Recommendations, Commitments, and Investments to Advance Justice and the Rule of Law.” (June 2)
• 30 World Justice Challenge finalists showcasing impactful, replicable rule of law projects from 27 countries (June 1). Winners announced live (June 2)
• 37 interactive working sessions focused on data, ESG, gender justice, whistleblowers, disability rights, a proposed international anti-corruption court, people-centered justice, children’s rights, civic space restrictions, intersectional discrimination, transitional justice, comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, judges, climate justice, public accountability, multi-sectoral partnerships, customary and informal justice, and more.

WHEN & WHERE

• Tuesday, May 31 – Thursday, June 2, 2022

Plenaries, working sessions, & arts performances online and in The Hague; French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian interpretation available for plenaries; Spanish and French for most working sessions.

• Plus: Opening reception in The Hague (May 30) * Partner side events in The Hague and online (June 3) * Additional events/exhibits via The Hague Justice Week

See the full World Justice Forum agenda.

WHO

More than 100 speakers, including:

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, United Nations • Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders • Vice President Věra Jourová, European Commission • Hon. Chief Justice Martha K. Koome, Kenya • President & Vice Chair Brad Smith, Microsoft • Justice Minister Mohamed-Lamin Tarawalley, Sierra Leone • Chair Mo Ibrahim, Mo Ibrahim Foundation • UN Under Secretary General and Assoc. Administrator Usha Rao-Monari, UN Development Programme (UNDP) • Columnist John Nery, Rappler (Philippines) • President Emeritus Sherrilyn Ifill, NAACP Legal Defense Fund • Chair Adrián Vázquez Lázara, European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee • Hon. Justice Hatari P.G. Waweru, Judiciary of Kenya • Deputy Director János Bertók, OECD • Justice Minister Ruslanbek Davletov, Uzbekistan ·Pam Wood, Hewlett Packard Enterprise • Hanna Suchocka, Club de Madrid, former Prime Minister of Poland • Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora, International IDEA • General Secretary Sharan Burrow, International Trade Union Confederation • Ahmand Sarmast, Afghanistan National Institute of Music • Director-General Jan Beagle, International Development Law Organization (IDLO) • Chief Editor Maja Daruwala, India Justice Report • Ming Tan, Tech for Good Institute / Singapore University • James Walsh, U.S. Department of State • Atieno Odhiambo, Legal Empowerment Fund • Jan Kleijssen, Council of Europe • Jane Meriwas, Samburu Women Trust • Steve Crown, Microsoft • Grace Achan, Women’s Advocacy Network Uganda • Roberto Hernández, filmmaker (Mexico/Netherlands) • Paul Kimalu, Judiciary of Kenya • Secretary General Lysa John, CIVICUS • Lesley Rosenthal, The Julliard School • Mark Agrast, American Society of International Law • CEO Sam Muller, HiiL • CEO William H. Neukom, World Justice Project • Simone Cuomo, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe • CEO Christine Birabwa-Nsubuga, Praxis Conflict Centre • Pavla Holcová, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project • Jim Fitzgerald, Equal Rights Trust • Rachel Odoi-Musoke, Governance and Security Programme (Uganda) • Lewis Dijkstra, European Commission • Akingbolahan Adeniran, former UN and Nigerian justice official • Rebecca L. Sandefur, Arizona State University; American Bar Foundation • Christoph Rojahn, forensic investigations consultant • Wim Jansen, City of The Hague • Jennifer Smith, International Legal Foundation

RSVP

Members of the media interested in attending online or in person may contact [email protected] to request a press pass. All others should register here.

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World Justice Forum 2022 is convened by the World Justice Project and its co-producing partners:  CIVICUS, HiiL, International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just & Inclusive Societies.

Forum sponsors include: Microsoft; The Chandler Foundation; The Hague Municipality; Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; Carnegie Mellon University; Nancy Ward and Toby Bright; LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation; Uber; ABA Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources; Pacifica Law Group; Cooley LLP; Arnold & Porter; Fredrikson & Byron.

Forum supporting partners include: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Namati, Equal Rights Trust, Open Government Partnership, Club de Madrid, The Elders, Transparency International, World Movement for Democracy.

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The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide. WJP produces original, independent research and data about the rule of law, including the WJP Rule of Law Index; promotes understanding and appreciation for the rule of law, its relationship to development, and effective strategies to strengthen it; and connects and builds an engaged global network of policymakers and advocates to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships, convenings, coordinated advocacy, and support for locally led initiatives.