The international forum offered important insights on the rule of law from five perspectives, covering topics on policy, civic engagement, the rule of law in a global context, regional policy initiatives, and tackling inequality. Knowledge sharing by the world-class scholars was a highlight of the forum.
Prof. Dr. Kittipong Kittayarak, Executive Director, Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), said, "The TIJ International Forum aimed to foster an understanding of, and converging global perspectives on, the rule of law with respect to regional development. This is Asia's first and only forum that brought together a number of world-class scholars from various disciplines to share their perspectives on international cases, which, in turn, will support further implementation of the rule of law by Thai, Asian, and international participants. This is an important effort on the part of TIJ to mitigate inequality and injustice in society, and to work towards sustainable development."
At the forum, Dr. David Kennedy, Director of the Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) at Harvard Law School, presented a keynote address on the "Rule of Law: Policy Perspectives." Dr. Valerie Hans, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School, shared insights on the "Rule of Law: Civic Perspectives." Distinguished professors from several prominent global institutions also shared their perspectives, as well as emerging leaders who joined the TIJ Workshop for Emerging Leaders on the Rule of Law and Policy which took place from January 7 to 11. These promising leaders presented their policy initiatives for the region after synthesizing the framework for the rule of law and lessons learned.
The TIJ Forum on the Rule of Law and Sustainable Development is part of the learning process for the rule of law. It provides an open platform for academics, experts, executives, and other stakeholders to join in discussions and clarify the strategic approaches needed for the successful implementation of the rule of law in different environments. The challenge of the
forum is boosting awareness of the importance and benefits of the principles of the rule of law to a larger extent. The forum also featured case studies on relevant issues and the efficient and successful implementation of rule of law principles.
"An exchange of perspectives on case studies under different contexts to find mutual solutions will help build awareness of the linkage of the rule of law and development, leading to an increasingly positive response in integrating the rule of law into every aspect of living. This is especially the case in regards to inequality, which is a structural problem and requires the strong cooperation of all stakeholders in working towards a just society where a culture of fairness can successfully embrace and adopt beliefs in the fundamental values of the rule of law. These can then be a driving force for Thailand and other countries to move forward with improved stability and long-term sustainability," concluded Prof. Dr. Kittipong.