Agenda

Opening

Monday, June 23

Day 1

Tuesday, June 24

Day 2

Wednesday, June 25

Day 3

Thursday, June 26

Side Events

Friday, June 27

Global Convening on Strengthening Customary and Informal Pathways to People-Centred Justice

09:00 – 13:00 (CET)

Light Room

Organized by: African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice; Cordaid; Grassroots Justice Network; HiiL; Impunity Watch; International Development Law Organization; Kituo Cha Sheria; Namati; Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies; Public International Law & Policy Group; REFORMAR – Research for Mozambique; Restorative Justice Community Courts, Circuit Court of Cook County; The Tenure Facility; UN Development Programme; UNICEF; UN Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions; UN Women; World Justice Project.

Game-changing action is urgently needed to realize the promise of justice for all embodied in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG16). Organized by the Working Group on Customary and Informal Justice and SDG16+, the Global Convening will showcase effective engagement between diverse justice stakeholders that enhances access to justice and the rule of law, sustains peace, and contributes to land and climate justice. The event will drive policy change and marshal resources for a transformative shift in advancing people-centred justice. It will also serve as the public debut of the Working Group’s global advocacy campaign.

Free registration required for all Forum participants. To register for free, click here

Speakers

Job Andy

Abdulkarim Ba Abad

Pascale Bambara

Jan Beagle

Elisa Samuel Boerekamp

Ana Cardenas

Sokhna Dié Ka Dia

Moussa Fofana

Issifou Ganou

Aminatou Suleyman Hainikoye

Milena Harizanova

Martin Hoppe

Udo Jude Ilo

Gentil Kasongo

Wambua Kituku

Margaret Kulujian

Revai Makanje Aalbaek

Macarena Martinic

Jacek Michałowski

Monika Stanisława Płatek

Alejandro Ponce

Gisele Samvura

Roby Senderowitsch

Magdalena Tabernacka

Type

WORKING SESSIONS

Museum Tour: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

10:00 – 12:00 (CET)

A coordinated group tour of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews will be available to interested Forum participants.

Ticketed event. Spaces are limited and will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. To sign up, visit here.

Location: 6 Mordechaja Anielewicza St., 00-157 Warsaw

Job Andy

Minister of Justice and Community Services, Vanuatu

Job Andy is the Minister of Justice and Community Services of Vanuatu.

Abdulkarim Ba Abad

Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Yemen

Judge Abdulkarim Ba Abad is a distinguished legal professional from Yemen. He currently serves as Deputy Minister of Justice for the Courts and Documentation Sector and Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He has been active in judicial reform and development, participating in and leading numerous committees on judicial movement, court classification and staffing, judicial fees, legal aid, and electronic judicial systems. Beyond the bench, Judge Ba Abad has contributed to legal education, lecturing at the Faculty of Law, Aden University, and the Higher Judicial Institute. Judge Ba Abad earned his Bachelor of Law degree from Aden University with honors. He further obtained a Higher Diploma in Criminal Judiciary and a Higher Diploma in Civil Judiciary.

Pascale Bambara

Director of Access to Justice and Aid to Victims, Ministry of Justice of Burkina Faso

Jan Beagle

Director-General, International Development Law Organization

Jan Beagle is Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). She has served as UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance; Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS; Deputy Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva; and Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources. Ms Beagle has held senior roles in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and UNDP, and led interagency efforts, including as Chair of the CEB Task Force on sexual harassment. A champion of gender equality, she is a member of the International Gender Champions network.

Elisa Samuel Boerekamp

High Court Judge, Director-General, Centre for Judicial and Legal Training, Mozambique

Judge Elisa Samuel Boerekamp is a High Court Judge and Director-General of the Centre for Judicial and Legal Training of Mozambique. She oversees judicial education, legal research, and institutional capacity building. With over two decades of experience, she previously served as Judge President in Machava and Bilene-Macia Districts and was a Member of the Superior Council of the Judiciary. She has led reforms in procedural law, training curricula, and judicial integrity. A legal scholar, she contributed to the Commentary on the African Charter and the Maputo Protocol, and serves in international judicial networks promoting excellence in training.

Ana Cardenas

Director of Justice Projects, Mexico, World Justice Project

Ana Cárdenas González de Cosío is a researcher and project manager committed to advancing access to justice, peaceful conflict resolution, and due process. She leads justice projects at the World Justice Project in Mexico, coordinating the first Open Justice Metric and promoting open justice practices. She has championed restorative justice and access for indigenous communities. Previously, she worked at the Federal Electoral High Court on transparency, electoral integrity, and freedom of expression. She holds a Ph.D. in Law from King’s College London and a Master’s from the LSE.

Sokhna Dié Ka Dia

Director, Natural Justice's Dakar Hub

Sokhna Dié Ka Dia is the Director of Natural Justice’s Dakar Hub and formerly served as Program Manager for its West Africa and Francophone Office. With over 18 years of experience in environmental law, she has worked on legislative development, legal drafting, and project implementation in areas such as protected areas, fisheries, and waste. Before joining Natural Justice, she collaborated with civil society organizations, universities, and national and international institutions. She teaches environmental law and waste management at UAD, holds degrees from UGB and UAD, and is an associate researcher at LERPDES/UCAD.

Moussa Fofana

Sahel Regional Representative, HiiL

Issifou Ganou

Executive Secretary, National Land Observatory-Burkina Faso (ONF-BF)

Issifou Ganou is the Executive Secretary of the National Land Observatory-Burkina Faso (ONF-BF).

Aminatou Suleyman Hainikoye

Country Manager for Niger, HiiL

Milena Harizanova

Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland

Ms Harizanova is a child protection and programme management specialist with over 25 years of experience in different country contexts. Throughout her career she has designed, managed and monitored implementation of complex national reforms and programmes in Bulgaria, Georgia, Liberia and Poland in a variety of child protection areas such as: violence against children, child protection system building, de-institutionalization, alternative care, social services, and access to justice. In response to the escalation of the war in Ukraine, she joined UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland where she leads a programme for strengthening the capacity of the child protection system, services and mechanisms in Poland to protect the needs of refugee children.

Martin Hoppe

Head of Division Governance, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Martin Hoppe is Head of Division Governance at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Previously, he served as Head of Division Food and Nutrition Security, Global Food Policy, Fisheries. In 1998 he became legal counsel at the German Patent and Trademark Office 2002 at the BMZ. In BMZ, he held positions as a policy advisor on environmental protection in China, on principles and procedures, as a chief speechwriter and as Head of Division for Peace and Security, Disaster Risk Management. Postings abroad were to the German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and the Head of Economic Cooperation and Development at the German Embassy, Hanoi.

Udo Jude Ilo

CEO, HiiL

Udo Jude Ilo is the CEO of The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) and a human rights advocate with over 21 years of experience addressing impunity, advancing democratic reforms, and promoting good governance. As Director of Open Society Foundations in Nigeria for a decade, he led efforts to expand civic space, support emerging activist movements, and strengthen accountability. He has held key leadership roles at the Nigerian Bar Association’s social justice program, the Forum of Federations, and the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), where he served as Interim Executive Director. Udo is widely recognized for his thought leadership on civic engagement, rights protection, and democratic resilience in West Africa.

Gentil Kasongo

Programme Manager, Democratic Republic of the Congo for Impunity Watch

Gentil Kasongo is Programme Manager for the Democratic Republic of the Congo for Impunity Watch.

Wambua Kituku

Executive Director, Kituo Cha Sheria

Wambua Kituku is Executive Director of Kituo Cha Sheria and represents the African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice. Dr Kituku, an esteemed Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, distinguished scholar, and programme management expert. With over two decades of experience in democratic governance, human rights, and humanitarian work, Dr Kituku brings a wealth of expertise in environmental law, climate change, strategic planning, and policy advisory.

Margaret Kulujian

Restorative Justice Court Coordinator, Cook County Circuit Court, USA

Margaret Kulujian is Restorative Justice Community Court Coordinator in the Office of the Chief Judge Circuit Court of Cook County.

Revai Makanje Aalbaek

Global Lead, Rule of Law Justice and Security, UNDP

Revai Makanje Aalbaek is the Global Lead for Rule of Law Justice and Security for UNDP. She has served in various capacities, including as UN Women Acting Country Representative for Zimbabwe, Deputy Country Representative UN Women Papua New Guinea, Team Leader Governance and Gender equality with UNDP Zimbabwe and UNDP Team Leader for Effective Governance for the Pacific Region based in Fiji. Revai started her career with Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, a civil society organization working on legal empowerment, access to justice and human rights protection for marginalized groups. She has worked extensively in Africa and the Pacific. She holds an LLM in Human Rights from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and a Masters in Women’s Law from the University of Zimbabwe.

Macarena Martinic

Coordinator of the Empowerment and Public Participation Area, FIMA

Macarena Martinic is Coordinator of Empowerment and Public Participation at NGO FIMA and a lawyer with a degree from the University of Chile. She has extensive experience in strategic litigation and supporting communities across Chile, promoting transformative empowerment by helping people organize and use legal tools for environmental protection. FIMA is a Chilean non-profit that has worked since 1998 to influence environmental policy, legislation, and access to justice, promoting the right to a healthy environment and safeguarding nature.

Jacek Michałowski

Advisor to the Minister of Justice, Poland

Jacek Michałowski is Advisor to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Poland, Adam Bodnar. Previously (2010-2015), he held the position of Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski. In 2000-2010, he was the Program Director of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation. In 1998-2000, he was the General Director of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Prof. Jerzy Buzek. In 1989-98, he was employed in the Chancellery of the Senate of the Republic of Poland—the first non-communist office in Poland, created from scratch, after the memorable elections of June 4, 1989.

Monika Stanisława Płatek

Head of the Department of Criminology, University of Warsaw

Monika Stanisława Płatek is the Head of the Department of Criminology in the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw.

Alejandro Ponce

Executive Director, World Justice Project

Dr. Alejandro Ponce is Executive Director of the World Justice Project, where he leads global efforts to advance the rule of law through research and strategic initiatives. As Chief Research Officer (2012–2025), he developed the WJP Rule of Law Index and key data products, including justice diagnostics, environmental indicators, and the global justice gap study. He also led WJP’s expansion in Mexico and the EU. A former economist at the World Bank and researcher at Yale, his work on behavioral economics, financial inclusion, and justice has been published in top journals. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

Gisele Samvura

Rule of Law Officer, United Nations

Gisele Samvura is Rule of Law Officer, Justice and Corrections Standing Capacity, DPO/OROLSI/JCS, UNGSC Brindisi, Italy

Roby Senderowitsch

Practice Manager for Public Administration, Governance Global Practice, World Bank Group

Roby Senderowitsch is Practice Manager for Public Administration in the Governance Global Practice at the World Bank. He previously held roles including Practice Manager for Europe and Central Asia (West), Manager of the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), and Country Manager in the Dominican Republic. His work focuses on political economy analysis, coalition-building, anti-corruption, and performance-based public management. He has lectured on HR management in nonprofit organizations and served as director of educational programs, community development, and HR management in the private sector.

Magdalena Tabernacka

Head of the Department of Comparative Public Administration, University of Wrocław

Magdalena Tabernacka is Head of the Department of Comparative Public Administration in the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics at the University of Wrocław, where she founded the Centre for the Study of Mediation and Other Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods in the Public Sphere.

Nozomi Iwama

Deputy Director General, Governance and Peace Building Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Ms. Nozomi Iwama is the Deputy Director General in charge of governance cooperation of JICA, at the Governance and Peace Building Department. Prior to this assignment, she was the Senior Director and Head of Office for Global Issues and Development Partnership, Operations Strategy Department of JICA from February 2021 to February 2024. She was responsible for JICA’s partnership relations and strategic dialogues with development partners. She served as Senior Representative of JICA’s Vietnam Office from 2017 to 2021. Her other previous assignments include Director for Southeast Asia and Pacific Department, Deputy Director of Office of International Affairs of Financial Services Agency of Japan. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development (MPAID) from John F. Kennedy School of　Government of Harvard University.
 

Justice Madan B. Lokur

Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India

Justice Madan B. Lokur is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and the first Indian to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji, where he served until January 2025. He currently serves as Chairperson of the United Nations Internal Justice Council and continues his work as an independent arbitrator and legal commentator. As a Supreme Court Judge, Justice Lokur was known for handling key social justice cases, with his Bench becoming widely known as the “Social Justice» Bench. Justice Lokur has been a strong advocate for judicial reform, access to justice, child rights, and environmental protection. He chaired key committees in the Indian judiciary, including the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee and the E-Committee for court computerization.

Adam Krzywoń

Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland

Adam Krzywoń was appointed as Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland on 1 January 2025. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Constitutional Law at the University of Warsaw. His academic focus includes Polish and comparative constitutional law and the protection of human rights. Additionally, he is a researcher at the German Research Institute for Public Administration (FÖV), where he leads an international research project examining the transformation of public service systems across Europe. Prof. Krzywoń’s professional experience includes, inter alia, working at the Constitutional Tribunal (2007–2008). From 2010 to 2018, he was a secretary and member of the Prime Minister’s Legislative Council