The World Justice Forum II took place November 11-14, 2009 in Vienna, Austria. This second worldwide gathering hosted by The World Justice Project was attended by 312 participants from 84 countries and a multitude of disciplines – including architecture, the arts, business, education, environment, government, faith, human rights, international development, labor, media, military, public health, public safety, science. These thought leaders explored the WJP Rule of Law Index® data and findings. The Forum also afforded space for reporting and discussion on the first round of the Opportunity Fund seed grant program.

The overall purpose of the Forum was to incubate informed and practical action-oriented programs designed and executed by multidisciplinary groups in their respective communities. Informed by keynote speeches, Index results, and other presentations, participants met in disciplinary and regional breakout sessions to develop such programs. The Forum continued the WJP’s progress in stimulating multidisciplinary collaborations to strengthen the rule of law, building new partnerships, and identifying best practices for dissemination and replication.

Read more about the World Justice Forum II components including: Breakout Sessions, Opportunity Fund and the WJP Rule of Law Index® .

Breakout Sessions

As an action-oriented conference, the main objective of the World Justice Forum II was to generate new multidisciplinary strategies to advance the rule of law. In recognition of the importance of action, nearly half of the Forum is dedicated to regional and disciplinary breakout sessions. During breakout sessions, participants developed cross-disciplinary action plans that advance the rule of law. Disciplinary breakout sessions are designed to encourage discussion on how the rule of law affects a field’s work, and how disciplines can work together to address rule of law challenges and deficiencies around the world. Regional breakout sessions, meanwhile, focus on cross-disciplinary challenges common to nations in their region and how multidisciplinary collaboration can address such challenges.

Taking important data and lessons from keynote and plenary sessions on the importance of the rule of law, the WJP Rule of Law Index®, and the Opportunity Fund , the more than 300 participants of the World Justice Forum II spent most of the final two days of the Forum in sixteen disciplinary breakout sessions and fourteen regional breakout sessions. Participants moved from discussing challenges to achieving effective rule of law to developing concrete action plans which address the challenges raised.

Opportunity Fund

The second World Justice Forum provided a platform to disseminate information on successful Opportunity Fund programs and to launch the interim Opportunity Fund report. Opportunity Fund presentations served to inform and inspire the development of new ideas to advance the rule of law in communities and regions around the world. The Multidisciplinary Partnerships in Practice panel showcased particularly innovative initiatives that strengthen the rule of law by creating multidisciplinary coalitions in the fields of health, education, and human rights. Moreover, concurrent panels on the environment, disenfranchised groups, youth empowerment, and multinational initiatives, further demonstrated the breadth of the Opportunity Fund. Some initial lessons learned from these project reinforce the importance of: multidisciplinary collaboration to enhance impact and sustainability; local ownership; promoting efforts that bridge the gap between laws on the books and the implementation and enforcement of the same laws.

Following the Forum’s pledge, the World Justice Project (WJP) announced the launch of the 2nd round of the Opportunity Fund. This round supported programs sparked as a result of the Forum breakout sessions and continue WJP’s progress in stimulating multidisciplinary collaborations to strengthen the rule of law, build new partnerships, and identify best practices for dissemination and replication. For more information on the Opportunity Fund, please visit the Opportunity Fund page .

WJP Rule of Law Index®

The World Justice Forum II presided over the unveiling of the WJP Rule of Law Index®, containing data gathered from 35 countries across the globe. By bringing together a large, international assembly of distinguished leaders from a multitude of disciplines, the Forum provided the ideal platform for the Index’s presentation. The launch of the Index was a success, and the Index data and findings were explored with enormous interest and lively engagement of Forum participants.

Within the disciplinary and regional breakout sessions, participants sought to take advantage of the Index’s rich data in designing and prioritizing new multidisciplinary strategies to advance the Rule of Law.

Throughout the Forum, the World Justice Project sought to maximize the involvement of participants in the continued development of the Index. Panel discussions provided opportunity for participants to give valuable feedback and ask questions regarding all aspects of the Index. In a continual effort to include global perspectives, Forum participants were invited to assign weights to elements of the Index during the second day of the Forum.

Over the course of the Forum, the Index faced tough scrutiny from leading experts, and the insightful comments and contributions made by participants will aid in improving the Index as it expands its country coverage.