Spanish
Santo Domingo. – At the opening ceremony of the First International Open Justice Conference, the executive director of the International Open Justice Network (RIJA), Álvaro Herrero, stated that this meeting, held for the first time in the world and based in Santo Domingo, represents a clear sign of leadership and vision of the region towards a model of justice closer to the citizenry.
The representative of the international network pointed out that Open Justice is not a slogan or a trend, but a cultural and institutional transformation based on four principles: transparency, citizen participation, accountability, and collaboration. "It is a model that must be built with the people and not only for those who manage the institutions," he pointed out.
More than 500 participants from 21 countries, including judges, prosecutors, defenders, academics, international organizations and civil society organizations, are attending this event. Herrero highlighted that this convergence is unprecedented and shows that no one can transform justice in isolation: "We need mature alliances, technical cooperation, trust and shared goals."
During his intervention, he recalled that the low confidence in the judicial systems of Latin America, the unmet legal needs of millions of people in the world, and threats to democracy such as organized crime and disinformation make it urgent to open up justice. "Open, transparent, accessible, and legitimate judicial institutions are not a luxury; they are a strategic asset for the strengthening of our democracies," he stated.
Herrero concluded by calling for this conference to be a starting point for consolidating a regional and global open justice ecosystem, and invited those present to collaboratively build the Santo Domingo Declaration on Open Justice, which will serve as a roadmap for the coming years.
