IBA President Jaime Carey Welcomes 5,500 Delegates to Toronto, Outlines Legal Profession’s Global Responsibility  

TORONTO, CANADA – The International Bar Association (IBA) 2025 Annual Conference opened in Toronto this week with a record turnout, as IBA President Jaime Carey delivered a comprehensive welcome address that outlined the legal profession’s crucial responsibility in a challenging global landscape. The conference has convened an "extraordinary number of over 5,500 attendees," a figure that "ranks among the top five most attended IBA annual conferences in history."

Carey, a partner from Chile, expressed his personal gratitude to the host city and its people, noting his admiration for Canadians’ politeness, which he linked to the core values of the rule of law.

"Perhaps that’s part of what makes this country so admirable — a deep sense of respect, humility, and dialogue — values that also sustain the rule of law," Carey observed.

The Rule of Law in a Complex World

The President immediately addressed the gravity of the legal profession’s role amid global uncertainty. He defined lawyers—including judges, academics, and public interest advocates—as "stewards of institutions, guardians of rights, and intermediaries between power and people."

Carey warned that "Everywhere, the rule of law is under strain — from populist pressures, authoritarian backsliding, and crises that test institutional resilience." He emphasized that the profession must ensure that "justice is real and accessible; that courts, legal services, and institutions reach the marginalized, the vulnerable, the powerless."

Priorities for the Future: AI, Diversity, and International Norms
Carey outlined the IBA’s key priorities focused on adapting the profession to new technological and political realities:

Artificial Intelligence: A core focus is managing the rapid changes brought by AI. The key question, according to Carey, is: "How do we harness innovation without sacrificing accountability, fairness, transparency, or dignity?" The IBA is developing standards and guidance to ensure that "AI augments justice rather than erodes it."

Diversity and Inclusion: The President stressed that "A legal community that does not reflect society’s diversity weakens its own legitimacy." He called for moving past tokenism toward "integration, power-sharing, and continuous reflection."

Contested Norms: Addressing global tensions, Carey highlighted the need to strengthen international cooperation. "In a multipolar world, legal norms are being contested," he said, calling for stronger "mutual legal assistance, treaty frameworks, and dispute resolution institutions."

Initiatives Strengthening Global Justice and Outreach

To address areas where the rule of law is fragile, Carey highlighted two major initiatives:

EyeWitness to Atrocities: This project, which has partnered with LexisNexis to store nearly 100,000 pieces of evidence, provides a secure mobile app to document international crimes. Carey stressed that the project "sends a powerful moral signal: that the international legal community will not allow atrocities to disappear into silence or denial."

Rule of Law Film Series: The IBA is partnering with the Danish Bar Association to revamp and bring its Rule of Law film series "into schools," educating young people on the principles of judicial independence and anti-corruption.

Carey also pledged to deepen the IBA’s global reach: "We recognize that we have a debt to these continents — and a commitment to bring the IBA closer to them," referencing his recent travels to Africa and promising continued efforts in Asia.

Conclusion: The Calling is Courage

In his closing remarks, Carey issued a clear mandate for the thousands of delegates: "We are not just observers, but actors."

He concluded by defining the highest duty of the lawyer in uncertain times: "In a moment of uncertainty, the lawyer’s highest calling is courage — the courage to speak truth to power, to defend rights, to protect institutions when trust weakens." He invited delegates to ensure "Toronto 2025 be remembered not just for the sessions we held, but for the commitments we made, the friendships we forged, and the resolve we renew."

ibanet.org