On April 16, 2025, the FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme, in partnership with the FGV Centre for Global Law, had the honour of welcoming Dr. Gustavo García Brito for a thought-provoking lecture on “The Role of the Court of Justice of the Andean Community in the Construction of a Regional Community of Law.”

In the first part of the lecture, Dr. García Brito presented the institutional structure of the Court and the Andean Community as a regional integration system. He detailed the legal basis under the Cartagena Agreement, the legitimate actors entitled to bring claims before the Court, and the institutions involved in the Andean legal framework.

In the second part, he introduced the concept of a regional community of law, which guides supranational decisions through the independence and effectiveness of regional courts, such as the Andean Court.

Dr. García Brito also analysed landmark cases and showed how commercial and economic disputes are resolved based on the principles of the rule of law, legality, predictability, legal certainty, and access to effective judicial protection—crucial elements for ensuring compliance and promoting free trade through jurisprudence.

Finally, he offered a critical perspective on regional courts as part of the politics of international economic law, especially in times of crisis when governments face internal pressures.

We thank Dr. Gustavo García Brito for his insightful and inspiring presentation, which greatly enriched our understanding of regional judicial integration.