Latin American and Caribbean judicial leaders sign the Santo Domingo Declaration

Santo Domingo.- During the First International Conference on Open Justice, held August 27-28 in the Dominican Republic, leaders from the judicial sector of 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, along with civil society and international organizations, signed the Santo Domingo Declaration. The historic agreement commits to strengthening democracy and transparency in the region’s judicial systems.

The declaration emphasizes adopting open justice policies, strategies, and programs at national, subnational, and community levels, with clear objectives, measurable indicators, and allocated budgets. Signatories also pledged to promote regulatory frameworks, secure human, financial, and technical resources, and support initiatives that enhance citizen participation, accountability, and transparency in the justice sector.

Key commitments include fostering collaboration with civil society and academia, promoting evidence-based reforms, and integrating gender equality and inclusion for marginalized groups, such as women, LGBTIQ+ communities, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and persons with disabilities. A Regional Open Justice Committee (RCJ) will monitor progress, ensuring transparency and participatory oversight with support from the International Open Justice Network.

The conference brought together representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, the United States, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, setting a collaborative agenda for accessible, transparent, and inclusive justice across the region.