The WJP began holding international action-oriented outreach meetings with global leaders to mainstream rule of law into the work of a variety of disciplines in early 2007.  These regional multidisciplinary meetings are a key component of the World Justice Project's collaborative efforts to advance the rule of law. 

What We're Doing

• The second World Justice Forum was held in Vienna, Austria from November 11-14, 2009.
• The WJP is currently planning three additional multidisciplinary outreach meetings: the Middle East and North Africa in May/June 2010; Latin America in September/October 2010, and Asia in January 2011.

What We've Done

The WJP held international multidisciplinary outreach meetings on five (5) continents in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  These meetings brought together leaders from 78 countries who represented such fields as the arts, business, education, engineering, environment, faith, human rights, labor, law and the judiciary, media, military, public health and public safety/law enforcement.  Participants shared the impact that rule of law weaknesses have on their disciplines and identified critical areas where cross-disciplinary efforts could help strengthen the rule of law. Here is a sample of what participants from around the world (PDF) had to say about the impact of the rule of law.

The WJP held a second multidisciplinary regional outreach meeting for Sub-Saharan African in Cape Town, South Africa, on May 6-7, 2009. 83 leaders from 22 Sub-Saharan countries representing 17 disciplines attended the event.

The international efforts of the Project during its first 18 months culminated in the inaugural World Justice Forum in July 2008.

A brief description of these regional meeting follows:

• North America: A kickoff mainstreaming meeting was held in Washington, DC in February 2007, with 83 leaders participating, representing 8 disciplines.
• Africa: In Accra, Ghana, 61 leaders participated from 21 African countries. They represented 10 disciplines.
• Latin America: In Buenos Aires, 47 leaders participated from 11 countries. They represented 12 disciplines.
• Europe: In Prague, Czech Republic, 36 leaders participated from 22 countries. They represented 11 disciplines.
• Asia: In Singapore, 52 leaders participated from 16 countries. They represented 11 disciplines.

In connection with these outreach-meetings, the WJP funded 12 multidisciplinary pilot projects in 11 sub-Saharan African countries. The interest and participation in these pilots let to the creation of the WJP's Opportunity Fund.

The projects include:

• Workshops led by health, education, and engineering professionals in Botswana, the Central African Republic, and Zimbabwe to strengthen public understanding of the rule of law and develop action plans for next steps;
• Training sessions for employers, workers, and government officials on labor laws in Madagascar, Malawi, and Tanzania; and

• Initiatives on women's health, property and other rights in Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.