The RIEK Network will be organized as a federated academic network bringing together researchers and specialists affiliated with various universities and research centers. Membership in the Network shall be personal in nature and shall be based on academic credentials and commitment to its scholarly purposes.
Universities and research institutions shall participate as associated institutions through national or regional chapters, contributing to the development of academic activities and to the institutional projection of the Network. However, membership status shall pertain exclusively to natural persons.
The governance structure will seek to balance the scientific autonomy of its members with the institutional support necessary to ensure the stability and continuity of the Network.
The governance of the RIEK Network shall be inspired by and guided by the following principles:
- Academic freedom, understood as the guarantee of scholarly independence in research, teaching, and debate.
- Epistemological pluralism, understood as the recognition of the legitimacy of diverse approaches within legal theory and legal philosophy.
- Scholarly cooperation, aimed at fostering joint and coordinated work among researchers, chapters, and associated institutions.
- Regional inclusion, intended to promote balanced representation across the Ibero-American sphere.
- Linguistic balance, aimed at promoting inclusive academic exchange in the languages of the Ibero-American sphere. The official languages of the Network are Spanish and Portuguese; the use of German and English is likewise recognized as languages of technical and bibliographical cooperation. The RIEK Network shall encourage the academic presence of other living languages of the Ibero-American sphere.
- Equality of representation and participation, with particular attention to generational and gender diversity.
The RIEK Network is currently in the process of formal establishment as an association under Austrian law. During the pre-statutory phase, operational coordination shall be exercised by Gonzalo Villa Rosas in ongoing communication with the Hans Kelsen-Institut (Vienna) and the Hans Kelsen Research Unit at the University of Freiburg. Decisions concerning the future RIEK association shall be adopted by common agreement among the signatories of the letter of intent signed at the Inaugural Meeting held on February 4, 2026, in Bogotá. Once formally constituted as an association under Austrian law, the governance of the RIEK Network shall be exercised by three central bodies: