IBA Annual Conference 2026 Copenhagen, Claudio Visco, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prince Zeid, IBA awards 2026, Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen
OpenLife News reports that the 2026 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference in Copenhagen was dominated by heated debates on US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), global legal upheaval, the rise of populist leaders and growing geo-political divides threatening the international legal order.
The 2026 edition featured opening ceremonies, showcase sessions, rule of law symposium, presidential keynote on AI and daily news coverage, with a special focus on defending the rule of law in a multi-polar world.
Opening Ceremony
At the Opening Ceremony on Sunday 4 October 2026, IBA Copenhagen Host Committee Co-Chairs Lise Lotte Hjerrild and Søren Skibsted welcomed delegates to the 2026 Annual Conference and offered a glimpse of what was to come over the course of the week.
Special guest speaker Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and long-standing Member of the Danish Parliament (Folketing), gave a rallying call to action for lawyers to stand up to those in power when fundamental rights are violated.
He spoke on the vital role of international law, the rule of law, and institutional trust in maintaining both domestic stability and global security, as well as the implications of the recent Greenland agreement.
In his opening remarks, IBA President Claudio Visco addressed the upheaval of the global legal order amidst the rise of populist leaders and growing geo-political divides.
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He called on lawyers to play an active role in promoting and protecting international law, highlighting the IBA’s endeavours including the Association’s repeated condemnation of US sanctions against the International Criminal Court and its ongoing support for Ukrainian legal and governmental bodies as Russia’s war of aggression continues.
According to Visco, the sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors pose a direct threat to international justice and must be resisted by the global legal community.
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein Delivers Keynote On Post-War Liberal Order
The keynote address was delivered by Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, former Jordanian Ambassador to the US who also served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2018.
Prince Zeid reflected on the post-Second World War liberal order and how hatred has been normalised in European politics in recent years.
He highlighted the transformative power of steadfast moral courage and decency – as opposed to aggressive condemnation – in fighting injustice.
Other highlights from the Opening Ceremony included a rousing performance from the Danish Girls’ Choir of Fredensborg Chapel and the presentation of awards for students involved in the IBA Rule of Law Educational Project.
As part of the initiative, students developed five short films exploring the rule of law through their own perspectives.
On the first full day of the Conference, Monday 5 October, Claudio Visco opened the Presidential Morning Keynote Address on AI, agency and the law.
Dr Farzana Dudhwala, Director of the IBA’s newly launched AI Institute, led a discussion on the implications of AI for the legal profession with Dr Nicklas Lundblad, co-founder of the Pharos Futures Research Group and former Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs at Google DeepMind.
Dr Lundblad examined the friction between agentic AI and fundamental legal doctrine, posing the question of where responsibility, liability and duty of care fall when no person directed the specific outcome.
The Monday to Thursday Showcase sessions at this year’s Conference covered subjects including the protection of children’s rights in times of conflict; the impact of AI on the legal profession; the importance of increasing public awareness of the rule of law; and the different pressures facing legal practitioners today.
All the Showcase sessions from the IBA constituents – the IBA’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the Legal Practice Division (LPD), the Bar Issues Commission (BIC) and the Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI) – were fully attended.
Lunchtime Special Events: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Lord Hague, Ukrainian Envoys Speak
Joining IBA Executive Director Dr Mark Ellis in conversation during the lunch breaks were Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark; the RT Honourable Lord Hague, former Leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, Foreign Secretary, First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons; Andriy Kostin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The lit includes the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; Anton Korynevych, Director of the Department of International Law and Legal Counteraction to Aggression at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; and Thomas Lund-Sørensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Ukraine.
The session held on Wednesday 7 October focused on Ukraine, international law and accountability for war crimes.
The final day of the Conference, Friday 9 October, was devoted to the Rule of Law Symposium, led by the IBA Rule of Law Forum.
Divided into three sessions, the Rule of Law Symposium is designed to be thought-provoking and inspiring – a call to action to IBA members to create positive change in the world.
This year, the Symposium focused on international peace and global security in a multi-polar world, a just rule of law and lawfare in the age of populism.
2026 IBA Annual Awards: Zar Li Aye, Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen, Charmaine Yap Honoured
A highlight of each year’s Conference is the presentation of the IBA Annual awards. Two awards are bestowed upon 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 2026 awardees are:
Zar Li Aye, a lawyer and human rights defender from Myanmar’s Indigenous Chin community, who received the IBA Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights in recognition of her commitment to advancing legal reform;
Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen, a Nigerian public interest lawyer and access to justice advocate, who won the IBA Annual Pro Bono Award for his exceptional and sustained commitment to pro bono legal service and access to justice in Nigeria; and
Charmaine Yap, from Singapore, who received the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in recognition of her demonstrable legal excellence, service to the community and deep commitment to improving access to justice for those most in need.
On the margins of the Conference, the IBA’s flagship magazine Global Insight conducted interviews with some of the high-profile speakers at this year’s event.
A Special Moment: 82 Years Combined IBA Membership Celebrated
Each year, the IBA Annual Conference brings legal professionals from around the world together to forge new connections and renew longstanding acquaintances.
In Copenhagen, two of the IBA’s longest-standing members, former IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto and former Member of Parliament in Ghana, Samuel (Sam) Awuku Okudzeto, embraced in a gesture of happiness at the opportunity to reconnect with one another. Between them they have 82 years invested in the IBA.
In a message to the IBA London Office, IBA President Claudio Visco extended his thanks to everyone who had made the 2026 IBA Annual Conference a ‘wonderful success’, including the many delegates (some of whom had travelled from far away to join the gathering); the Copenhagen Host Committee.
He thanked the ‘excellent’ speakers, panellists, moderators and chairs; the publishers of the IBA Daily News; the various teams at the conference centre including the event coordinators, security team, decorators, temporary staff, caterers, cleaners, IT technicians and many others; sponsors and exhibitors; his fellow Officers and the IBA staff.
Q: Where was the 2026 IBA Annual Conference held?
A: The 2026 IBA Annual Conference was held in Copenhagen, Denmark from October 4 to 9, 2026.
Q: What dominated discourse at the 2026 IBA Conference?
A: US sanctions against ICC, global legal upheaval, rise of populist leaders and growing geo-political divides dominated discourse at the conference.
Q: Who won the 2026 IBA Annual Awards?
A: Zar Li Aye from Myanmar won Human Rights Award, Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen from Nigeria won Pro Bono Award, and Charmaine Yap from Singapore won Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.
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