"IABA's mission is to promote and defend the rule of law  as the foundation  of a just and free society in the Western Hemisphere”

Dear IABA Members:


In an information age requiring swift assimilation of data, we've decided to send out the President's Newsletters on a continuous (and not necessary monthly) basis. Thus, I am taking the liberty of updating the membership on our organization's ongoing development and growth over the past month, while discussing matters of current and future importance for the IABA.

I am pleased to report on my most recent trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) from August 12th to 15th. In that Maritime Province city, I represented the IABA at the Canadian Bar Association's (CBA) Annual Meeting. Besides meeting with the CBA's new governing board, we acknowledged and thanked the CBA for its support of our organization, and particularly attendance of the CBA's former president, Kevin Caroll, at our 2010 annual conference in Veracruz, Mexico. We also held private meetings with representatives from other international bar associations, such as the UIA, IBA, ABA, Paris Bar and the Law Society of England & Wales. Above all, we demonstrated once again the IABA's ongoing commitment to furthering the rule of law throughout the Americas.

Recently, the IABA was invited by the OAS (Organization of American States) to take part in diplomatic activities in Valparaiso, Chile, where the Tenth Anniversary of the adoption of the Inter-American Democratic Charter will be commemorated. After these celebrations, discussions will follow on how to renew OAS members' commitment to democratic principles. Thanks to our close relationship with the OAS, the IABA was invited to participate in this project, where our First Vice President, Rafael Veloz, and Executive Committee member, Diego Peralta, will represent us.

Our Council Meeting in October also rapidly approaches. For the first time in IABA history, our organization will meet in Brasilia (capital of Brazil) at the invitation of the Brazilian Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil – OAB). This three-day program will include academic-, social- and membership-related activities. For those who don't know Brasilia, it is a dynamic city with a vibrant public sector, and we encourage all those who are interested to sign up for the Council Meeting and make their hotel reservations as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing as many members as possible at this historic event.

Finally, we invite our members to see our organization's daily posts on social networking media, such as Facebook. As technology continues to evolve, the world grows smaller and the flow of information increases. We live in a dynamic world where we are fortunate to be able to use social media as tools for lively discussions and debates on issues relevant throughout our hemisphere.





André de Almeida and Trinda Ernst (President of the Canadian Bar Association)




André de Almeida and Jean Castelain (President of the Paris Bar), Pascale Murrier (Presiente of UIA), Bill Robinson (President of ABA), Rod Snow (Former President of CBA), Kevin Caroll (former President of the CBA)



I send my best regards, and hope to see you soon.

 

Dr. André de Almeida
President