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​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).

Convened as a side-event to the Justice Matters 2026, 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

  • Opening and Framing

    Moderator: Themba Mahleka, Associate Director, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, NYU Center on International Cooperation

  • Opening Remarks

    TBC

  • 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 (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.

  • Q&A (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.

  • Q&A (5 minutes)

  • Cross-Regional Synthesis

  • Looking Ahead: Judicial Leadership and Shared Priorities

  • Closing Remarks

Speakers

  • Hon. Justice Diana Rachel Kavedza-Mochache

    Justice of the High Court, Kenya

  • Hon. Justice Mariela Ponce

    Supreme Court of Justice of Querétaro State, Mexico

  • Hon. Justice Kate Ogunsanya

    Justice of the High Court of Ogun State, Nigeria

  • Hon. Justice Gerardo Rubén Alfaro

    Justice of the Criminal Appeals Court and Director of Restorative Justice, Costa Rica

  • Hon. Justice Jaceguara Dantas da Silva

    National Council of Justice and Justice of the Court of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

  • Hon. Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza

    Supreme Court Justice, Uganda

Partners

  • HiiL logo with circular graphic besides it.
  • Pathfinders logo. Text reads
  • Logo of Red Internacional de Justicia Abierta.