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.