IBA Global Insight – Annual Conference highlights
The 2025 IBA Annual Conference was held in Toronto, Canada, from 2 to 7 November. The conference featured leading international figures, including a former Canadian Supreme Court judge and a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist whose work exposed the Watergate scandal, discussing timely and important issues. Below, we’ve selected some of the best of Global Insight's interviews with speakers and other coverage from Toronto, as well as highlights from previous annual conferences.
Keynote address: Rosalie Silberman Abella
Rosalie Silberman Abella is the first Jewish woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. In this keynote address at the IBA Annual Conference 2025, she reflects on the legacy of the Nuremberg trials and the importance of protecting justice.
A conversation with Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward gained international attention when he and Carl Bernstein uncovered the Watergate scandal in 1973. Currently Associate Editor for The Washington Post, he has won numerous American journalism awards. Here, he discusses Trump's impact on the rule of law and lessons from Watergate.
A conversation about the state of international law in the new Trump era
This panel discussed the suggestion that the norms of international justice are being rewritten, and the post-Second World War global order is being dismantled, as a result of the Trump administration's policies. The panel considered this view and the challenges that lie ahead for international law.
An interview with John Bellinger
John Bellinger is a former senior legal advisor to the US State Department and the National Security Council during the George W Bush administration. In this interview, Bellinger discusses his experiences and how the approach of previous administrations compares to that of Trump 2.0.
LPD Showcase – killing the news: a global phenomenon
A free and uncensored press is a vital aspect of the fundamental right to free expression. This session, co-hosted by the IBA Legal Practice Division and the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, looked at how harassment, intimidation and attacks against journalists and the media have increased worldwide.
An interview with Frank Mugisha
Frank Mugisha is an LGBTQ+ advocate and Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda. A recipient of the RFK Human Rights Award, he reflects on the path to activism and the fight for equality in a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised under the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
An interview with Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. In this interview, he discusses the responsibility to protect principle, particularly in the context of Syria, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
An interview with Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson is a former President of Ireland and UN Special Envoy on Climate Change. In this Global Insight interview, she discusses climate justice – the intersection of human rights, development and climate change – and the actions the international community should be taking on this issue.
An interview with Evgenia Kara-Murza
Evgenia Kara-Murza is the wife of Russian political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was imprisoned in Russia on charges of treason at the time of filming. In this interview, she discusses the repressive Putin regime, her husband’s and her own activism, and continuing the fight in the darkest of times.
AI, lawyers and the law: interview with Marc Rotenberg
Marc Rotenberg is President of the Center for AI and Digital Policy in Washington, DC. In this Global Insight interview, Rotenberg discusses how the legal community is responding to the emergence of AI in the workplace, the EU AI Act and the need to regulate AI technology.
SPPI showcase: Law as a lifelong and rewarding profession
This discussion considered the future of the legal profession and explored strategies to enhance its appeal to individuals seeking legal careers, clients looking for legal services and current lawyers. The panel focused on developing the work environment necessary to attract and retain talent.