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In 2026, the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone will host the Second Global Convening on Strengthening Customary and Informal Pathways to People-centered Justice, with a program focused on realizing the promise of diverse pathways to justice to prevent conflict and sustain peace.

A broad array of allies, including ministerial delegations, judicial leaders, representatives of intergovernmental agencies, civil society and grassroots justice defenders, and customary and informal justice providers, will showcase effective engagement between diverse justice stakeholders that enhances access to justice and the rule of law, prevents conflict, and sustains peace, and unite behind a bold shared vision to deliver cost-effective, sustainable, people-centered solutions at-scale.

[The first Global Convening in June 2025, co-organized by 23 partners in Warsaw, Poland, gathered justice leaders from 24 countries for a high-level exchange intended to marshal political support and resources for a transformative shift in advancing people-centered justice.]

In-person deadline: October 25, 2026
Virtual registration will remain open.

Agenda

  • Participant Registration Coffee and Networking

  • Opening Ceremony

    Welcome Remarks Setting the Stage

  • High-Level Dialogue

    At a Moment of Shrinking Resources, Fragility and Declining Trust in Institutions, Why Should Governments and International Partners Invest in Diverse Pathways to Justice?

  • Coffee Break

  • Plenary Session I

    The Role of CIJ for Preventing Conflict and Sustaining Peace

  • Thematic Session 1

    How do we move from recognizing diverse pathways to justice to supporting them responsibly, sustainably, and at scale?

  • Lunch

  • Thematic Session 2

    Digital Pathways to Justice: Opportunities and Risks for Customary and Informal Justice

    How can digital tools strengthen the accessibility, effectiveness and reach of customary and informal justice, while safeguarding inclusion, local ownership and human rights?

  • Coffee Break

  • Diverse Pathways to Justice in Africa: Evidence, Practice, and Partnerships

    Launch of the African Alliance for People-Centered Justice Regional Report on Customary and Informal Justice

  • Thematic Session 3

    From Conflict to Sustainable Peace: CIJ, Transitional Justice and Restorative Approaches

    What role can customary and informal justice play across the continuum from conflict prevention to reconciliation and sustainable peace? How can locally rooted and restorative approaches complement formal transitional justice processes while ensuring accountability, inclusion and human rights?

  • Closing Remarks

  • Cocktail Reception

  • Justice in Practice: Community Learning Visits

    More information to come.

Co-hosts

  • Government seal of Sierra Leone with two lions and palm trees facing each other with an illustration between them. The words UNITY, FREEDOM, and JUSTICE are written in a banner at the bottom.
  • Text in black: Open Society Foundations
  • justice action coalition
  • African Alliance for People-Centered Justice logo with tri-color outline of the African continent on the top right.
  • Working Group on Customary and Informal Justice and SDG16+ logo in red text.