In August 2024, the World Justice Project selected the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice (part of the New York City Bar Association) as a finalist in its annual World Justice Challenge. Over the past 5 years, the challenge has been an integral part of the organization’s mission of ensuring that judicial independence is protected worldwide, with the rule of law being fairly and impartially administered.
The Vance Center was among 30 international organizations recognized as challenge finalists at the annual meeting of the American Bar Association in Chicago. An ongoing initiative focused on ensuring Latin American judicial independence earned it selection in the Justice Institutions category. This placed the Vance Center alongside organizations such as the Free Courts Foundation in Poland and Nigeria’s Kimpact Development Initiative.
In illustrating the urgent need for judicial reform in Latin America, the center’s associate executive director drew attention to the case of Carlos Ruano, a Guatemalan judge who was attacked after his decisions went against other powerful judiciary members. While he garnered support from the Guatemalan Association of Judges for Integrity (AGJI), Ruano was eventually forced into exile. This led the Vance Center to strengthen its partnership with the AGJI, taking steps to strengthen the judicial system in a way that incorporated perspectives from both inside and outside of Guatemala.
