UPF-BSM signs an agreement with the Public Defender’s Office of Ecuador to strengthen collaboration between the institutions

José M. Martínez-Sierra, General Director of the UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM), and Ricardo Morales Vela, Public Defender General of the Republic of Ecuador, have signed a cooperation agreement between the business school and the Public Defender’s Office of Ecuador, an autonomous body of the Judiciary responsible for guaranteeing access to justice for the most vulnerable people.

In the days leading up to the signing, Morales had held several working meetings with the management team of UPF-BSM, as well as with faculty members from the Law School of Universitat Pompeu Fabra and with representatives of the OECD to finalise the content of the agreement.

The agreement signed today will enhance cooperation and exchange between both institutions through training programmes for the staff of the Public Defender’s Office of Ecuador, as well as for the School of the Judicial Function of Ecuador.

The agreement also promotes research on highly relevant topics such as the application of AI in the judicial field through the development of an ethical code and another code for the protection of the rights of persons deprived of liberty and of citizens in general. In addition, the agreement will strengthen international cooperation in the development of projects related to institutional strengthening and communication on human rights.

Open government and open justice under discussion

During his visit to the school, the Public Defender of Ecuador also took part in a discussion panel at the Sala Koiné of UPF-BSM with students of the Master’s Degree in Public and Social Policies. The panel, titled “Open Government and Open Justice”, also featured professors Josep Solà, Head of Public Services of the City Council of Sant Cugat del Vallès and lecturer of the Master’s programme, and Javier Wilhelm, professor at UPF-BSM and expert in mediation.

During the session, key issues in the sector were addressed, such as: the current state of public policy development in access to justice and alternative systems; work on social cohesion and coexistence from the municipal to the governmental level; access and equal opportunities in open governments across all areas of a territory; and the reduction of gaps in access to services for managing coexistence.

The panel, moderated by Marco Tello, student of the Master’s Degree in Public and Social Policies at UPF-BSM, concluded with examples of good practices in Ecuador and Catalonia regarding proximity policies from the perspective of restorative justice.