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/
