It is a great privilege to welcome you to the paradigm-shifting AIJA’s 62nd Annual Congress in Madrid where from 3 to 7 September 2024, the international legal community will discuss and debate from every angle the ambitious, but necessary topic: “Thinking Globally – The Role of International Lawyers in a World Searching for Answers.”

Truthfully, our Congress cannot come soon enough. We live in an era that demands global solutions to problems, even when many times those challenges appear to be local. Everything is truly interconnected.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the interruption of supply-chains, trade disputes, major armed conflicts, the progressive deterioration of the earth’s environment, technological disruptions, and many other major recent events, all had significant cross-border impact requiring global responses from multilateral organisations, national, regional, and local governments, the biggest of transnational corporations, and the smallest of local companies alike.

The international legal community has a key role to play in devising and providing the legal solutions that the world and our clients need in areas as diverse as trade, technology, energy transition, security and defense, inequality, and others. I am thrilled that under the leadership of the brilliant Congress Academic Coordinators and AIJA’s Commissions, young lawyers from every corner in the world will do their part when we meet in Madrid.

And, what better place than Madrid to do just that and network in AIJA style! Madrid is a vibrant metropolis at the heart of Western Europe, connected to the world at large, where past and present meets seamlessly, where people from all over the world are welcomed, and where every meal, sight or experience is a unique opportunity to share an unforgettable moment.

Locals commonly say “De Madrid al Cielo”, from “Madrid to Heaven,” to put into words the feeling that there is no better place to be than in Madrid. I can confidently say that thanks to the extraordinary and energetic Madrid 2024 Organising Committee, any doubts about the veracity of that phrase will be put to rest when the AIJA spirit visits Madrid.

I very much look forward to seeing you in Madrid.
#GlobalAIJA #MAD4aija

Eduardo J. De la Peña Bernal
President of AIJA 2023/2024