Category: Upcoming Events

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Will War Accelerate Energy Transition?

The World Jurist Association (WJA) organized the panel “Degassing Europe: Will War Accelerate the Energy Transition?” which is the first Opening Session of the “on-going” World Law Congress 2023. This virtual meeting brought together Miguel Arias Cañete, former European Commissioner for Climate Action; Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Director of Energy Policy at the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission; and Javier de Cendra, Dean of the Law School of the University Francisco de Vitoria and expert in Environmental Law. 

Viviane Reding, vice-president of the World Law Foundation and former vice-president of the European Commission, moderated the debate, inaugurated by Javier Cremades, president of the WJA. During his speech, President Cremades stressed that “the energy transition is taking place in an unprecedented context in the 21st century. With the war in Ukraine, the conflict unleashed by Moscow, violating international law, has revealed the dependence of Europe and many other regions on Russian fossil fuels”.

During the debate, the panel agreed on the fact that the European Union is fully committed to the objectives of decarbonization by 2055, which implies a progressive abandonment of fossil fuels, and its total substitution by clean energies: renewables, green hydrogen, etc. The so-called energy transition process, which is currently taking place, will achieve a triple objective once complete: cheaper, non-polluting and self-sufficiency.

It was also mentioned that the war in Ukraine has highlighted the urgent need to eliminate the current EU’s energy dependence on Russia by 2030 at the latest, and if possible, by 2027.

Panelists also agreed that energy transition towards decarbonization and independence from Russia are not contradictory goals; on the contrary, they are mutually reinforcing. The most effective way to achieve European energy self-sufficiency is to accelerate the transition in all its dimensions: increasing the contribution of renewables, energy efficiency and savings, new technologies, and in particular, green hydrogen. This philosophy underlies the Commission’s Repower communication, which confirms and reinforces the general objectives contained in the Fit for 55’s communication, approved by the European Council.

The world is currently immersed in a global crisis, which goes beyond the war in Ukraine, and even beyond the post-COVID 19 pandemic. Panelists remarked that this situation poses major challenges to the energy transition process. For example, questions relating to the availability and cost of innovative technologies and that of the raw materials required; questions relating to the world economic situation, inflation, contraction, and growth; and of a geopolitical nature, the duration and extension of the conflict, de-globalization, and disruption of supply chains, etc.

The rise in energy prices is undoubtedly, and especially in its “energy poverty” dimension, one of the greatest causes for concern and a major challenge to the energy transition process. The panel agreed that corrective measures must be implemented, but they must not jeopardize either the progress achieved or the road ahead. The European energy market, as the data shows, has worked very effectively, particularly for consumers and to encourage investment in renewables. The current problem is caused by rising gas prices, and that must be solved with specific measures, targeted at vulnerable sectors.

The European Union began the energy transition process two decades ago, and has already achieved important results: in particular, the fulfillment of all the objectives set for 2020 and the positive forecast, even in anticipation, with respect to those of 2030. The EU has the most complete legislative tools and financial instruments in the world to achieve decarbonization by 2055. Although the current crisis presents significant risks, there is a conviction that the EU has the capacity to overcome them, even to accelerate the process. 

 

 

Colombian Democracy, awarded with the World Peace & Liberty Award

The President of Colombia, Iván Duque, was in charge of closing this edition of the World Law Congress and received from the hands of King Felipe VI, the World Peace & Liberty Award, granted by the World Jurist Association. He did so on behalf of Colombian society, recognized with this award for being the longest-lived democracy in the region, and which has an impact on the strengthening and promotion of freedom and the rule of law above the vicissitudes. Iván Duque assured that “Colombian democracy has been solid and will be solid because it has passed the most arduous tests, has faced civil wars, terrorism, drug trafficking, the vicissitudes of natural disasters and has had to undergo demanding tests, but we full of joy that it is one of the oldest in the entire continent”. Along these lines, he recognized that “democracy is a triumph for regulating human activities, renewing leadership and leaving decision-making free for the people.” For Duque, “it is a moral duty to raise one’s voice against the Maduro dictatorship, because keeping silence is being accomplices. Acting within the framework of legality, international law, denouncing this regime before the International Criminal Court is what our peoples expect of us. Extending a helping hand to those who want to have hope is a categorical imperative”. of international law, denouncing this regime before the International Criminal Court is what our peoples expect of us. Extending a helping hand to those who want to have hope is a categorical imperative”. 

For his part, King Felipe VI, recipient of the World Peace & Liberty Award 2019, highlighted “Spain’s firm commitment to Colombia in its role as an Ibero-American strategic partner”, and recognized that “our government, our institutions, our cooperation and our The legal community will continue to bet on this country and its citizens”. Of the Colombian democracy, he said that “it has stood firm in the face of risks and will feel recognized, comforted and encouraged by this important distinction, because it is based on harmony, freedom and equality.” Adding that “the rule of law is not only a guarantee of freedom, but also an essential requirement to achieve economic and social development with stability and justice, because development must be built by seeking coexistence, guaranteeing security and favoring the well-being of all citizens”.

Present at the award ceremony was the president of the World Jurist Association, Javier Cremades, who remarked that “Colombia has become the best country in the region, and it is one of the few stars that shine in the sky of freedom. Today Colombians are not forced to emigrate”. He also underlined that “they are a reference and model for those countries that want to establish the peace and freedom of their fellow citizens on the right”.

The former president of the American Bar Association, Hilarie Bass, was in charge of reading the act of awarding the World Peace & Liberty Award; and the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, praised Colombian democracy. The academic director of the World Law Congress and emeritus magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Manuel Aragón Reyes, gave voice to the reading of the Barranquilla 2021 declaration.

The closing ceremony also hosted the presentation of the World Jurist Association medals of honor which, on this occasion, were presented to Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles, Hilarie Bass, former president of the American Bar Association, Patricie Lee Refo, former president of the American Bar Association, to The World Justice Project, to the Constituents of the Political Constitution of Colombia 1991, to Cheol-Kyu Hwang, president of the International Association of Attorneys General, to José Igreja Matos, president of the Union Magistrates International, and Reginald Turner, President of the American Bar Association.

The Rule of Law Index was also presented by Elizabeth Andersen, Executive Director of the World Justice Project. 

Viviane Reding, Vice President of the World Law Foundation and former Vice President of the European Commission, read the act of awarding the World Peace & Liberty Award to be presented in 2022 to Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany.

The 27th edition of the World Law Congress in figures

The World Law Congress Colombia 2021, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Constitution of Colombia and the 200 years of the Constitution of Cúcuta, brought together more than 2,500 attendees from more than 60 countries and has had a program featuring 52 round tables and more than 300 world-class speakers.

This edition will give way to the one to be held in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2023.

The international legal community inaugurated the World Law Congress Colombia 2021

More than 1500 attendees are participants in the 27th edition of the World Law Congress that for two days besieged Barranquilla as the world capital of law. A congress organized by the World Jurist Association (WJA), which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Constitution of Colombia and the 200 years of the Constitution of Cúcuta.

Javier Cremades, President of the WJA, inaugurated this congress in which, he says, “a noble objective reigns, which is the defense of the freedom of each one of the people in all corners of the world, because tyranny and arbitrariness continue occupying spaces of power”. He was accompanied by Wilson Ruiz Orejuela, Minister of Justice of Colombia and President of the local organizing committee, who recognized that “this event is built between all, like democracy “, and pointed out that” we must involve the different actors of society in strengthening justice in the world, ensuring that rights are realities for all and not privileges for some. ” As minister, he showed “the absolute certainty that the Ministry will always work for an open and harmonious dialogue.”

For his part, Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla, insisted that “democracy be promoted and promulgated among the youngest” and stressed that “all human beings must have the dignity of having rights.” Also participating in the opening of the event was Margarita Cabello, Attorney General of the Nation of Colombia and former Minister of Justice, who pointed out that “during the pandemic we managed to reconcile democracy and law, maintaining control of the rules without sacrificing a situation marked by the urgency; and the law responded”. Francisco Barbosa, attorney general of Colombia, recognized that “if there is no justice, democracy cannot be sustained in a territory, because once the prosecution or justice is lost, obviously the rule of law cannot be upheld.” Viviane Reding, Vice President of the World Law Foundation and former Vice President of the European Commission, she was also part of the opening ceremony, along with Cheol-Kyu Hwang, President of the International Association of Attorneys General, as well as Dairo Mora, President of Civilec. José Igreja Matos, president of the International Union of Magistrates, stressed that “without legality there is no freedom.” Manuel Aragón Reyes, academic director of the WLC and emeritus magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Spain, ruled that “without the rule of law, legal security and social and economic development are not possible.” President of the International Union of Magistrates, stressed that “without legality there is no freedom.” Manuel Aragón Reyes, academic director of the WLC and emeritus magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Spain, ruled that “without the rule of law, legal security and social and economic development are not possible.” President of the International Union of Magistrates, stressed that “without legality there is no freedom.” Manuel Aragón Reyes, academic director of the WLC and emeritus magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Spain, ruled that “without the rule of law, legal security and social and economic development are not possible.”

The round of interventions was closed by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, who intervened telematically and assured that “the laws and regulations designed to keep people safe have faced intrepid resistance from the public. , and some governments have abused emergency measures to justify repression. This has become a two-way pandemic. “

Throughout the day, the 52 tables that make up this congress and that dealt with the Rule of Law as the axis for the development of nations and democracy, digitization, the pandemic and sustainability, energy and climate change. The panelists included personalities such as Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Manuel Valls, former Prime Minister of France, Leonel Fernández, former President of the Dominican Republic, judges of the International Criminal Court, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the European Union Court of Human Rights and presidents of high courts, among others.

World Peace & Liberty Award

In the afternoon, the World Peace & Liberty Award monument, located in the Plaza de la Paz, was inaugurated. It is a donation made by the WJA to Colombia, in whose civil society and democracy, the longest in Latin America, it recognizes the defense, strengthening and promotion of the rule of law over and above the vicissitudes. This event was attended by the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, His Majesty the King of Spain, the Mayor of Barranquilla, and the President of the World Jurist Association, among other prominent legal personalities who were in Barranquilla. They were in charge of making this award official on the second day during the closing ceremony with the reading of the award ceremony.

The First Lady of Colombia moderated the first debate of the World Law Congress

Mrs. María Juliana Ruiz, First Lady of the Republic of Colombia, moderated the panel “Women and consolidation of the rule of law” that served as a luxury appetizer for the XXVII World Law Congress held by the World Jurist Association in Barranquilla. The first lady assured that “we must build the future in a better way and do so through the law, which provides a legal, juridical, human and social framework.” And he stressed the importance of “teaching our girls the principle of equity, the fairness of everything based on respect, and that they do not have to learn more than anyone else, or be more than anyone, just be aware that they are part of a society and have rights and duties”. He added that in Colombia more than 50% of law students are women and more than 50% of those who practice are women, but less than 15% of them exercise the profession in managerial positions or with high salary, social or business recognition. “It seems paradoxical that having a majority of representation, we continue to be a minority in the ability to fully exercise it”, he added.

In this exclusive discussion for the media, the former Bolivian Minister of Foreign Relations participated during Janine Áñez’s term, Karen Longaric, who assured that she always tries to motivate her female students “so that they are encouraged to challenge that woman in a more secure way. deeply macho society and so that they can venture into different areas that have been a privilege for men, such as the judiciary, for example”. Along these lines, the first and only female president of the Constitutional Court of Chile, Marisol Peña Torres, recognized that “for 20 years until now the situation is much more equitable, since the new generations have learned to share the responsibilities of the home, and this point is important”. And he added that “it is not a fight or a claim against men,

For her part, the former president of the American Bar Association, Patricia Lee “Trish” Refo, pointed out the difficulty of being a woman and a lawyer in the United States, although she clarified that not impossible, despite the fact that it is the most common. In this regard, the president of the World Jurist Association (WJA) Spain and dean of the Barcelona Bar Association, María Eugenia Gay, highlighted that “in Spain there is a pyramidal structure in the field of justice that is alarming, because in the At the base, there is a majority presence of women and when ascending there is only a male presence, and that is why the necessary modernization of state structures is unquestionable”. At this meeting, which was presented by Manuel Aragón Reyes, academic director of the World Law Congress and emeritus magistrate of the Constitutional Court of Spain,

World Jurist Association Medals of Honor

During this day, the WJA awarded its Medal of Honor to the First Lady, who acknowledged collecting it “on behalf of all Colombian women and those of all nations, who work to achieve this visibility and ability to fully develop”. 

In addition, they were also delivered to co-organizers and sponsors of the congress. They were honored Wilson Ruiz Orejuela, President of the Organizing Committee of the World Law Congress Colombia 2021 and Minister of Justice of Colombia, Jaime Pumarejo Heins, Mayor of Barranquilla, Grupo Mutua Madrileña and Seguros del Estado, represented by Jaime Montalvo, and Francisco “Paco” Rodríguez collected the medal on behalf of The Icon, the tallest skyscraper in Barranquilla that precisely hosted this meeting with the media.

Rafel Puyol, president of the University of La Rioja, UNIR, Jorge Martí Moreno, president of the International Union of Lawyers (UIA), and María Eugenia Gay were also decorated. On Friday, December 3, during the development of the congress, the delivery of medals to other personalities and institutions will continue.

The World Jurist Association signs a collaboration agreement with the International Association of Lawyers

The World Jurist Association (WJA) and the International Association of Lawyers (UIA) have signed a collaboration agreement and have done so within the framework of the UIA congress that took place in Madrid on the 28th, 29th and 30th of October. 

During its development, Javier Cremades, president of the WJA, received the medal of honor from the UIA awarded by its president, Jorge Martí Moreno. In his speech, Mr. Cremades thanked the recognition and invited all attendees to travel to Barranquilla to attend the World Law Congress Colombia 2021, which will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of December, 2021, involving “the celebration of the Rule of Law”.

The congress, which has become the largest international legal event, celebrates its 27th edition this year, under the name “Rule of Law: development for nations”. It will bring together more than 250 panelists who will pay tribute to Colombian democracy, which will be awarded with the World Peace & Liberty Award, being the first time that this recognition is awarded collectively.

The more than 35 roundtables will focus on current issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change and the role of women in law. Ultimately, the program will focus on promoting the rule of law as an instrument for the development of nations, offering a comprehensive vision of current issues that concern humanity and on which the world of law and justice must respond.

You can consult the program, as well as make the attendance registration by accessing the website through this link: https://worldlawcongress.com/

Barranquilla will become the world law capital with the celebration of the World Law Congress Colombia 2021

The World Jurist Association (WJA) has presented, along with the Ministry of Justice and Law of Colombia, and the Mayor’s Office of Barranquilla, the World Law Congress Colombia 2021 that will be held on December 2 and 3 at the Puerta de Oro Centre, in Barranquilla. Thus, La Arenosa will become the world law capital during the two days that the congress takes place, where heads of State are summoned, such as Iván Duque and Felipe VI, King of Spain, presidents and judges of high and international courts, general prosecutors and representatives of international organizations; as well as academics, lawyers, businessmen, human rights activists and law students from all continents.

 

The program will focus on promoting the rule of law as an instrument for the development of nations, offering a comprehensive vision of current issues that concern humanity and on which the law and justice world must respond. Among the aspects to be debated are the analysis of the responses of the States to the pandemic, cybersecurity and digitization, judicial independence and the current migratory crises, among others. The more than 35 Round tables that will make up the content of the congress will integrate the vision of notorious jurists, businessmen, representatives of Colombian and international institutions, communicators and students, who support the sustainable development of humanity, and coexistence in democracy and freedom. 

 

During the second day, the World Peace & Liberty Award will be granted to the Colombian civil society and democracy, the longest in Latin America, for their defense, strengthening and promotion of Rule of Law over vicissitudes, and will have the participation of the President of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez, King Felipe VI of Spain and the former presidents of Colombia Álvaro Uribe Velez, Ernesto Samper, and Andrés Pastrana, who have confirmed their attendance. In the 2020 edition, this award, considered the Nobel Prize for Law, was awarded to the recently deceased Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and in previous editions to personalities such as Sir Winston Churchill, René Cassin, Nelson Mandela and King Felipe VI of Spain. An award that all of them have received for their indisputable commitment to the rule of law and the defense of democracy and freedom.

 

The president of the WJA, Javier Cremades, has recognized that “we chose Colombia as host to this congress because, despite the difficulties it has faced, Colombian society has always supported living in democracy and, furthermore, the country has become the perfect setting coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Colombian constitution and the 200th anniversary of the constitution of Cucuta”. Mr. Cremades has invited Colombian lawyers, academics, businessmen, and law students from around the world “to attend this extraordinary event that is coming to Colombia for the first time.”

 

Along these lines, the Minister of Justice and Law, Wilson Ruiz Orejuela, has mentioned that “for the National Government this designation is a tribute and recognition to the daily and tireless efforts made by the State and the Colombian people, strengthening the principles of the Social State of Law and guaranteeing the freedom of citizens, order and peace within the framework of the democratic system that governs us”.

 

For her part, María Eugenia Gay, president of the Spanish chapter of the WJA, has ensured that the exchange of ideas, reflective analysis and the practice of a constructive dialogue shielding us from prejudices and polarization, constitute today a virtue that we must procure; the World Law Congress being, precisely, an opportunity for understanding that brings together the most prominent personalities from the world of Law, Politics and Diplomacy.

 

Finally, the mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo Heins, stressed that “Barranquilla will be the world epicenter of Law, a setting where the conversation about democracy and peace is re-established through the rule of law, protecting those who do not use their strength and power of communication to prevail. From here, important points will be debated on the preservation of freedom and how to face the challenge of continuing to build solid democracies that are increasingly in tune with the needs of today’s world. We celebrate this vote of confidence in the city and the country, and for that we have been preparing in recent years, which will also generate employment, opportunities and quality of life for Barranquilla residents within the framework of the successful process of economic reactivation that we currently lead at the national level ”.

 

The presentation of the congress has been covered in different media and you can here see what has been said about the most important legal event at an international level:

 

NTN24: https://youtu.be/Dz4KYQHgiAI

RCN news: https://youtu.be/quwU5XwFOKk

Telecaribe:https://youtu.be/llrBEswXD58

 

You can consult the program and make the attendance record by accessing through this link: https://worldlawcongress.com/