Remarks by Themba Mahleka at the Justice Matters side event: High-Level Judicial Dialogue

This event was 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), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Women.

Convened as a side-event to the Justice Matters 2026 Conference, the High-Level Dialogue sought to create a high-level judicial space for collective reflection between judges from Africa and Ibero-America on how courts can strengthen stability and public trust through people-centered justice.

The dialogue strengthened cross-regional relationships and networks among judiciaries and established a platform for sustained collaboration, research, and knowledge exchange on people-centered justice. This inaugural session laid the groundwork for an ongoing inter-regional judicial community. ​

The dialogue was conducted with simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. This enabled inclusive participation and reinforced the session’s commitment to accessibility and cross-regional exchange.

More details here.