Mr Carey commented: 'I feel honoured to have been elected President of the International Bar Association and will carry out the duties of this office with full conviction and high resolve, building on the efforts of predecessors. Knowing that I am part of a continuum working to uphold the rule of law fills me with pride. During my tenure, I hope to increase the IBA's visibility in
Africa and Asia and encourage more peers in those regions to get involved in the Association's work. Additionally, because I am from Latin America, I will work to increase the region's visibility in the international legal community by creating more opportunities for interaction with colleagues from other jurisdictions.'
He continued: 'Undoubtedly, our world is rapidly changing and becoming more divided. Legal professionals have a role to play in countering division. Since unity, collaboration, diversity and integration are essential to improving the world, it is my intention to encourage these things as widely as possible across all IBA constituents and as many jurisdictions as possible.'
Click here to download photo - Source: Jaime Carey
Mr Carey's election has made history on two counts: in addition to being the only Chilean to occupy the role of IBA President, it is also the first time there has been a joint presidency of the Association. On 19 September 2024 the IBA Council adopted a Resolution that ratified this arrangement for the years 2025-2026 for Mr Carey and Claudio Visco, Senior Partner at Italian law firm Lipani.
Being good friends since 1991, when they met at an IBA Conference in Hong Kong, Mr Carey and Mr Visco decided they would divide the two-year term and collaborate, with each serving as IBA President for a year.
In a joint statement, Mr Carey and Mr Visco commented: 'We are grateful that this historic agreement was supported by the IBA Council. Our joint presidency reflects the collaborative approach of IBA members who freely and voluntarily share their knowledge with legal professionals around the world. As we continue the work that embodies the IBA's founders' vision of promoting and defending the rule of law and human rights globally in an environment of mutual respect, cooperation, and shared objectives, this shared two-year mandate will ensure order, coordination, and continuity.'
Other joint objectives include, inter alia:
- defending the independence of the legal profession and judiciary;
- addressing the implications of and regulations around artificial intelligence (AI) and advancing AI projects;
- promoting gender parity and diversity in the legal profession;
- increasing accessibility to Annual Conferences for underrepresented groups in the IBA; and
- continuing promotion of the IBA report on the social and economic impact of the legal profession.
