EIUC - GIZ Conference: Ensuring Equal Access to Justice for All

From 2 to 5 May 2017, the European Inter-University Center for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC) and the German Ministry of Cooperation, through its implementation partner ‒ the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) – GmbH /DIRAJus Programme in Latin America ‒ convenes a conference entitled “Ensuring equal access to justice for all: Exchange and networking between Latin America and Europe on SDG 16.3”. The conference takes place at the Monastery of San Nicolò, EIUC’s seat in Venice-Lido.

The conference brings together judges, experts, practitioners and academics from Latin America and Europe that work in the field of access to justice. Prominent participants are Roberto F. Caldas and Patricio Pazmiño Freire, President and Judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, respectively; Paul Lemmens and Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque, Judges of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the former judge of the same court, Peer Lorenzen; Ideli Salvatti, Secretary for Access to Rights and Equity, General Secretariat/Organisation of American States; Hanna Suchocka, Honorary President of the Venice Commission/Council of Europe and former Prime Minister of Poland; Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency.

Hosts of the conference are Manfred Nowak, EIUC Secretary General and UN-expert leading the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, Helen Ahrens, DIRAJus GIZ, and Horst Fischer, GIZ and former EIUC President.

The conference target at the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.3 “Promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring equal access to justice for all”. Conference participants will share their experience in respect of the long-term impact of access to justice mechanisms and measures under SDG 16.3, as well as on the impact of international norms and standards on the domestic development of the rule of law. The conference compare the experiences and challenges of the Inter-American and European human rights courts and draw inspiration from ten studies elaborated on the topic of access to justice originating from eight Latin American countries, whose spokespersons will be present. 

Conference participants will be asked to shed light on the theory and methodology needed to guide law and policy on the national and international level that helps to fulfil the main aspects of access to justice within the next 15 years. The conference aims to establish and encourage continued cooperation between agencies, scholars and practitioners from both regions well into the future.

General sessions, special presentations and breakout groups will take place during the conference. The diversity of fora and formats will foster the exchange of ideas and experiences among participants, with a view to promoting dialogue on access to justice between the Latin American and European human rights contexts.

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