Istanbul will host the International Justice Summit on Oct. 8-9, bringing together justice ministers, members of the judiciary and legal experts from more than 70 countries for talks on global justice challenges, including accountability in Gaza, human rights, artificial intelligence and cybercrime.
The two-day summit, hosted by Türkiye’s Justice Ministry at Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace, is expected to draw around 600 participants, the ministry said.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek will deliver the opening address, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to attend the second day of the gathering and address participants.
The summit will feature 40 speakers across eight sessions, along with representatives from 18 national bar associations and more than 30 international organizations. Participating justice ministers are also expected to hold bilateral and diplomatic meetings on the sidelines.
Discussions will cover the implementation of international humanitarian law and accountability, with Gaza serving as a case study, as well as international arbitration, human rights and the future of legal professions.
Other sessions will focus on social media responsibility, migration and burden-sharing, the legal implications of the global energy transition and emerging challenges in the digital sphere.
A panel on international justice in the digital world will address cybercrime and artificial intelligence as well as efforts to establish global norms to respond to rapidly evolving technologies.
In a message published on the summit’s website, Gürlek said challenges ranging from digital threats and energy crises to violations of humanitarian law and income inequality had become major global problems that no country could address alone.
He called for stronger international cooperation and said a broadly accepted international legal framework should be supported by institutions capable of responding to the needs of a changing world.
“Uniting around the universal power of justice and developing international cooperation mechanisms should be our fundamental goal,” Gürlek said.
Gürlek noted the summit would provide a platform for new ideas and discussions on humanitarian law, international arbitration, technological transformation and migration.
He also highlighted Istanbul’s historical position as a crossroads between East and West and a meeting point for different civilizations and legal traditions.
