Ibero-American Justice united in the face of Millennium challenges

The association, with its regional networks, in particular with the justice networks of Latin America, has been one of the cornerstones of EUROsociAL+, managed by FIIAPP withEuropean financing. Promoting alliances and networks for the exchange of experiences and good practices between counterpart institutions in Latin America and Europe has been one of the central pillars of this programme’s work. This has made it possible to advance in the construction of common responses from various countries to shared problems.  

EUROsociAL+ has taken part in the XX Plenary Assembly of the Ibero-American Judicial Summit. On this occasion, the meeting held in Panama focused on “The sustainability of social peace: challenges for the Justice Administration in Latin America in the face of the new demands of the Millennium”. The Assembly was opened by the President of the Republic of Panama and the President of the Panamanian Judiciary. In addition, the highest representatives of the Ibero-America Supreme Courts and Judiciary and Magistrates’ Councils were present.  

With the Ibero-American Judicial Summit, the association has been especially fruitful with two of its Commissions. Since 2020, the EUROsociAL+ gender area has worked with the Gender Commission in order to incorporate gender equality and non-discrimination within the Ibero-American Judicial Summit and in the Ibero-American Judiciary.   

The most significant collaboration has taken place since 2008 with the Brasilia Rules Follow-up Commission, which seeks to reduce barriers to vulnerable people’s access to justice. The programme has been present at the definition of the Rules, working on their implementation in the countries in the region and transferring them to national programmes, policies and plans for access to justice.   

María Luisa Domínguez, a technician in the programme’s Governance Area explained that she is currently accompanying regional justice networks in the development of an Ibero-American Agreement on Access to Justice that includes the content and principles of the Rules. “Once it has been approved and ratified by the States, this Convention can become a very powerful instrument in the face of social exclusion and the fight against inequalities” she said.