European Union, Australia and UN support the Philippines' first National Jail Decongestion Summit

MANILA – The Philippine Government, in cooperation with the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) composed of Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr., is convening the country's first National Jail Decongestion Summit entitled, "Decongest and Reintegrate: A conference to unlock solutions to jail and prison overcrowding" at the Diamond Hotel Manila on 6 and 7 December 2023.

Providing messages at the opening ceremonies were His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (Delivered by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin), Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, European Union Ambassador, H.E. Luc Veron, Australian Ambassador, H.E. HK Yu PSM, FCPA, and UNODC Country Manager, Daniele Marchesi.

Also joining the Summit are Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, Chairperson of the JSCC Technical Working Group on Processes and Capacity Building, and  other  Justices  of  the Supreme Court, and Christian Eldon of the European Union’s GOJUST II Programme.

The Summit aims to bring together key stakeholders, advocates, law enforcement officials, legal experts, and community leaders, among others, to tackle the challenges and explore viable solutions to alleviate overcrowding in jails, feature panel discussions, keynote addresses, and interactive sessions designed to examine the root causes of jail overcrowding, to share best practices, and develop innovative strategies for reform. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in critical conversations aimed at fostering real time solutions towards sustainable jail reforms.

This Summit is jointly supported by the European Union's Justice Sector Reform Programme: Governance in Justice II (GOJUST II) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with funding from the Australian Government and the European Union.