The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) has partnered with national and regional justice institutions in the Eastern Africa region to organize a “Justice Week” for the region. Held in Kampala from 24 to 28 October 2022, the week will bring together Ministers, senior government officials, judges, legal professionals and experts from 17 countries (Benin, Cȏte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom and Zambia) to share experiences and identify solutions to priority justice issues.
East Africa Justice Week seeks to promote dialogue on the region’s need for effective pathways to reduce land resource-related conflict, to strengthen and promote equal access to justice and elevate the role of women judges across the region and adopt emerging best practice in land-related resource management and administration. The Week will provide an opportunity to discuss regional challenges, such as reduced availability of land, mounting demographic pressure and the accelerating impact of climate change which act as drivers of conflict.
Throughout the Week, IDLO and partners will seek to highlight factors impacting the ability of diverse groups across the region to access justice.
*Note that all participants will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test prior to attendance, taken no later than Monday 24 October at 12pm EAT.
Highlights
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High-level Regional Conference on Land and Conflict in the East and Horn of Africa (Hybrid Conference)
IDLO, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) and the International Land Coalition (ILC), with the Government of Uganda, will hold a High-Level Regional Conference on Land and Conflict in the East and Horn of Africa, from 24–26 October in Kampala, Uganda. The Conference will explore the links between land governance and conflict and the need for a people-centred approach, focused on access to justice and the rule of law, peace, sustainable development, gender equality and climate action.
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The 17th International Association of Women Judges Africa Region Conference (Kampala, Uganda)
From 25 - 29 October 2022, the National Association of Women Judges -Uganda, in partnership with the Judiciary of Uganda, the International Association of Women Judges, the Austrian Development Agency, and the Civil Aviation Authority - Uganda, with the support of IDLO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, will host the biannual International Association of Women Judges Africa Region Conference at the Commonwealth Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo.Under the theme, Women Judges Breaking Barriers to Equal Justice and Strengthening Institutions, the Conference will bring together some 300 women judges with a focus on breaking barriers in three key areas:-Addressing customs, traditions, beliefs, attitudes and practices that perpetuate gender-based discrimination;-Ensuring access to justice in the wider community through formal and informal justice systems; and-Positioning women judges for employment opportunities, promotions and decision-making positions.By exploring topics affecting the dispensation of justice in accordance with its theme on equal justice for all, the conference will address justice for youth, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and people living with disability and mental health challenges, as well as review the ways in which gender has been mainstreamed into the administration of land justice and the use of technology. The Conference aims to increase commitments to strengthen and promote equal access to justice, engage in gender sensitive adjudication, and elevate the role of women judges across the region.
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2nd Annual East African Court of Justice Judicial Conference (Hybrid Conference)
The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and the Judiciary of Uganda, with the support of IDLO, will host its 2nd Annual East African Court of Justice Judicial Conference from 26 - 28 October 2022 at the Mestil Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.With a focus on Transforming Access to Justice in the East African Community (EAC), the Conference provides an opportunity for high-level conversations and discussions on emerging legal and judicial issues between judges, justice seekers and academia in the EAC.The Conference aims at strengthening the capacities of judges and judicial officers to respond to various challenges that justice seekers face by addressing issues, such as cross-border trade disputes, the internet as an enabler of freedom of expression, and the critical role of courts in effecting social and political change.By increasing understanding of emerging technological issues, along with the evolving nature of laws and the appropriate tools to implement them, the Conference will support the effective administration of the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the law.