Jaime Carey, a senior partner at Chile’s largest law firm, Carey, has become the first Chilean to be elected president of the International Bar Association (IBA).
Mr Carey, who has been a member of the IBA for over 41 years, took up his new role on 1 January, succeeding Spain’s Almudena Arpón de Mendívil y Aldama.
In an interview with the IBA, Mr Carey said he felt “honoured” to have been elected president and pledged to increase the organisation’s visibility in Africa and Asia.
“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,” he said.
Mr Carey also said he would work to promote Latin America’s visibility in the international legal community.
“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 added.
Historic joint presidency
Mr Carey’s election is also historic because he will share the presidency with Claudio Visco, a senior partner at Italian law firm Lipani.
The two lawyers will serve as co-presidents for a two-year term, with Mr Carey serving as president for the first year and Mr Visco taking over for the second year.
In a joint statement, Mr Carey and Mr Visco said they were “grateful” for the opportunity to serve as co-presidents.
“We are grateful that this historic agreement was supported by the IBA Council,” they said.
“The joint presidency reflects the collaborative approach of IBA members who freely and voluntarily share their knowledge with legal professionals around the world.”
About the IBA
The International Bar Association is the global voice of the legal profession, with over 80,000 members from more than 170 countries.
The organisation was established in 1947 and aims to promote the rule of law and defend the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary.
The IBA also works to promote human rights and provide assistance to lawyers and judges around the world.
