Toronto, Canada : From November 2025 in Toronto, Canada the International Bar Association (IBA) – the global voice of the legal profession – connected 5,500 delegates from 130 jurisdictions around the world at its recently concluded Annual Conference. Headline discussions, among the more than 280 sessions comprising the programme, were pressing universal issues including attacks on and the importance of upholding and advancing the rule of law; the climate crisis and climate justice; the adoption, impact, integration and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as related ethical issues; human rights; corporate governance; access to justice; mental health and wellbeing; women and diversity in the legal profession; and cross-border trade, investment, sanctions and resources. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Photos and speeches can be downloaded from the IBA website and reproduced with the credit ‘Courtesy of the International Bar Association’. Short biographies for the featured Speakers are also available on the IBA website.
Below is a selection of some of the highlights of the Conference with links to filmed footage.
Keynote address
The keynote address was delivered by Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, an international expert on human rights law who, in 2004, became the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Her address was interrupted several times with applause, and she received a standing ovation.
In recognition of her dedication to upholding the rule of law throughout her career, which spanned five decades, Justice Abella was presented with the IBA Benjamin Berell Ferencz Rule of Law Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by LexisNexis). Watch the award presentation here.
The Monday to Thursday Showcase sessions at this year’s Conference covered a range of topics, including: advancing LGBTQIA+ equality around the world; threats to the independence of the media and increased attacks against journalists; the growing provision of traditional legal services by non-lawyers and the evolution of the profession; and the role of lawyers in using legal procedures to broker peace talks and bring war crimes to justice. At the below links, video footage can be viewed of all the Showcase sessions from the IBA constituents – the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the Legal Practice Division (LPD), the Bar Issues Commission (BIC) and the Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI).
Joining IBA Executive Director Dr Mark Ellis in conversation during the lunch breaks were Sir Bill Browder KCMG, British financier, political activist and Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign; Bob Woodward, the internationally renowned journalist who, alongside Carl Bernstein, uncovered the Watergate scandal in the United States in 1973; and a panel of leading American and Canadian legal experts including John Bellinger III, former Legal Adviser for the US Department of State; Irwin Cotler, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights; Alberto Mora, Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy; Judge Kimberly Prost, International Criminal Court; Michael Scharf, former Attorney-Advisor for the US Department of State; and Beth Van Schaack, Center for Human Rights and International Justice. Watch the 2025 A conversation with… series at the below links.
The final day of the conference, Friday 7 November, was devoted to the Rule of Law Symposium, led by the IBA Rule of Law Forum. Designed as a thought-provoking ‘call to action’ to the membership of the IBA, this year’s Symposium was split across three sessions focused on the following topics: the future of multilateralism; civility and the legal profession; and economic warfare. Watch the footage here.
2025 IBA Annual Awards
Generously supported by LexisNexis each year, the IBA presents awards to legal practitioners who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the respective fields of human rights or pro bono. A third award is given to a young lawyer who has shown excellence in their career and dedication to the community at large. The 2025 awardees are:
An integral part of the IBA Annual Conference experience, the IBA Daily News was published by the Global Legal Post from Monday to Thursday of the Conference. It provided interviews, features, session previews and ‘Delegate Views’. The publication is available here.
Prominent lawyer and former Member of Parliament in Ghana, Samuel (Sam) Awuku Okudzeto,turned 90 years of age in September 2025. He is pictured below with IBA Executive Director Dr Mark Ellis. At the African Regional Forum lunch on Thursday 6 November, Mr Okudzeto was presented with a celebratory cake by colleagues.
The event brought together 5,500 attendees from 130 jurisdictions across the world to share knowledge and best practices; renew connections and make new ones and gain insights into topical issues affecting the legal profession. Over 2,700 law firms, corporations, governments and regulators were represented at the Conference.
Next stop… The 2026 IBA Annual Conference will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Bella Center from 4–9 October. Register your interest here. In a video message, Mr Carey wished IBA President-Elect, Claudio Visco, great success with the event.
