Global South jurists push for greater say in debt, trade rules

Jurists and human rights advocates attend the ICJ Kenya Annual Jurists Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Courtesy]

Jurists from the Global South are pushing for greater influence over international financial rules on debt, trade and resource governance, linking economic inequality to human rights and accountability.

The discussions are taking place at the annual conference of the International Commission of Jurists Kenya (ICJ Kenya) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where legal practitioners, human rights advocates, researchers and civil society representatives are examining inequalities in global justice systems.

Held under the theme “Beyond 1948: Forging a Global South Compact for Dignity, Sovereignty and Shared Prosperity,” the conference seeks to address the unequal application of international accountability mechanisms and the structures that shape global economic relations.

The conference opened on Thursday, October 29, with remarks from Christine Alai, chairperson of ICJ Kenya, and Jerald Joseph, a former commissioner of Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission and director of Pusat KOMAS.

Keynote speakers included ICJ Kenya Executive Director Demas Kiprono and Supreme Court Judge Smokin Wanjala.

A key session examined how states can exercise sovereignty without using it to shield governments and political elites from scrutiny over human rights violations, atrocity crimes and economic offences.

The panel explored sovereignty as a responsibility to protect human dignity and uphold accountability, rather than an excuse to evade scrutiny.

Participants also examined the legacy of colonialism and the uneven application of international justice mechanisms.

Demas Kiprono, Executive Director of ICJ Kenya, delivers opening remarks at the Annual Jurists Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Courtesy]

The discussion considered universal jurisdiction, which allows courts in some circumstances to prosecute certain serious crimes committed outside their national borders, particularly where national authorities are unwilling or unable to act.

The panel included Wanjala, Waikwa Wanyoike, director of strategic litigation and learning at the Open Society Justice Initiative, human rights lawyer Zaid Malik and Alai. Martin Mavenjina of the Kenya Human Rights Commission and a member of the ICJ Kenya Council moderated the session.

The conference is examining how countries in the Global South can work together to influence international rules on debt, trade, finance and resource governance.

The discussions link economic sovereignty to human rights, with participants considering how reforms to global institutions could address structural inequalities alongside legal accountability.

The second day, scheduled for Friday, October 30, will focus on generational demands for accountability, digital rights, data sovereignty, climate reparations and environmental sovereignty.

Sessions will examine how young people are challenging established political institutions, questions surrounding ownership and governance of data and the implications of digital justice for countries in the Global South.

The programme will also address climate justice and the unequal distribution of environmental harm and responsibility.

The conference is expected to culminate in the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, which is intended to outline a proposed Global South Compact on dignity, sovereignty and shared prosperity.

ICJ Kenya promotes the rule of law, the protection of human rights and judicial independence through legal advocacy, research, litigation and capacity building.