Check out the Justice Financing Framework!

Search Pathfinders

​Organized by: The African Alliance for People-Centred Justice and the Ibero-American Alliance for Access to Justice

​In partnership with: The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), Pathfinders for Peaceful Just and Inclusive Societies (NYU Center on International Cooperation), Red Internacional de Justicia Abierta (RIJA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The High-Level Dialogue seeks to create a high-level judicial space for collective reflection between judges from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean on how courts can strengthen stability and public trust through people-centered and open justice approaches.

​The dialogue aims to identify reforms that have demonstrated measurable institutional and societal impact, to explore how evidence and justice needs data can guide judicial leadership, and to articulate the contribution of accessible dispute resolution to economic resilience and conflict prevention.

​The session also seeks to foster a durable cross-regional judicial learning community capable of continuing exchange beyond the event itself.

​The dialogue will be conducted with simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. This will enable inclusive participation and reinforce the session’s commitment to accessibility and cross-regional exchange.

Agenda (TBC)

  • Opening and Framing

    Co-Moderator - Themba Mahleka, Associate Director, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies - CIC-NYU

    • Welcome and scene-setting
    • Framing of people-centered justice as a judicial strategy for stability and security, not merely a reform agenda

    Co-Moderator - Laura Ospina, Senior Program Officer, , Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies - CIC-NYU

    • Explanation of the dialogue format and audience engagement approach
    • Introduction of the Speakers
      • ​Kenya: Hon. Justice Diana Rachel Kavedza-Mochache, Justice of the High Court
      • ​Mexico: Hon. Justice Mariela Ponce, Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice of Querétaro State
      • ​Nigeria: Hon. Justice Kate Ogunsanya, Justice of the High Court of Ogun State
      • ​Costa Rica: Hon. Justice Gerardo Rubén Alfaro, Justice of the Criminal Appeals Court and Director of Restorative Justice
      • ​Tanzania: TBC
      • ​Brazil: Hon. Justice Jaceguara Dantas da Silva, National Council of Justice and Justice of the Court of Mato Grosso do Sul
      • ​Dominican Republic: TBC

  • Opening Remarks

  • Panel I: People-Centred Justice and the Strategic Use of Data

    This panel will examine how judiciaries identify and prioritise the justice problems that most affect daily life and economic participation. Judges will reflect on how caseload data, court-user research, and justice needs surveys are informing procedural reform and performance measurement.
Full Agenda

  • Q&A (last 5 minutes)

  • Panel II: Open Justice, Transparency, and Institutional Legitimacy

    This panel will explore transparency, accountability, participation, and integrity reforms within judicial governance. Judges from both regions will reflect on how openness strengthens public trust while reinforcing constitutional independence. The conversation will highlight concrete experiences where institutional openness has improved both performance and legitimacy.

  • Q&A (last 5 minutes)

  • Panel III: Integrating Formal and Informal Justice Pathways

    This panel will explore how judiciaries engage with and integrate alternative, community-level, and digital justice mechanisms within formal systems. It will examine how courts can enable faster and more effective dispute resolution while maintaining constitutional safeguards and human rights standards. The discussion will also consider what factors make reforms scalable and sustainable, and how courts can demonstrate the value of these reforms to stakeholders.

  • Q&A (last 5 minutes)

  • Cross-Regional Synthesis

    • Moderators draw out common threads, contrasts, and points of convergence across Africa and Iberoamerica
    • Identification of 2–3 shared challenges and opportunities to frame the interactive discussion

  • Looking Ahead: Judicial Leadership and Shared Priorities

    • Judges reflect briefly on:
      • ​What can realistically be adapted across regions
      • ​The role of judicial leadership in advancing people-centered justice while safeguarding independence
    • Identification of priority areas for continued cross-regional learning

  • Closing Reflections

    • ​Final remarks from moderators
    • ​Invitation to continued engagement through future judicial dialogue and collaboration