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JUSTICE MINISTERS CONFERENCE UNDERSCORES IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION TO COMBAT TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME

The hemisphere’s Justice Ministers and Attorneys General opened their fifth meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) today, with calls for stepped up cooperation to fight terrorism and organized crime. The meeting also stressed the importance of cooperation on extradition and prison and penitentiary policies as the participants discuss as well the Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

Reiterating the importance of cooperation to tackle crime, the OAS Permanent Council Chairman, Mexico’s Ambassador Miguel Ruiz-Cabañas, stressed that respect for the rule of law and guarantees of due process must never be compromised. “Under no circumstances should any state institution fail to abide by the law, no matter how painful the consequences of illegal acts might be,” he stressed while declaring open the Meeting of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA), which ends Friday.

The Mexican envoy recalled the commitments by the Hemisphere’s leaders—at their Special Summit last January—to strengthen cooperation to fight all forms of transnational crime in seeking to advance the causes of justice and hemispheric security.

OAS Secretary General César Gaviria highlighted the strides made since the first REMJA was held in late 1997, on a mandate from the General Assembly. He said this process has yielded such important institutions as the Chile-based Justice Studies Center of the Americas; the Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; and the Group of Governmental Experts devoted to combating internet crimes.

Underlining the importance of cooperation among legal and judicial authorities in fighting international organized crime, Gaviria argued that terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking, money laundering and illicit arms trafficking are just a few of the interrelated “manifestations of transnational organized crime.” He said they respect no borders but rather seek to take advantage of “our freedoms, our political systems, the rule of law and even our institutional constraints and weaknesses.”

The delegations elected Mexico’s Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha by acclamation to chair the meeting. Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General Irwin Kotler , Costa Rica’s Minister of Justice Patricia Vega, and Bahamian Attorney General and Minister of Education Alfred Sears were elected as Vice Chairs, respectively, by acclamation as well.

Upon assuming the Chair, Macedo de la Concha said that despite the complex, ambitious agenda before the delegations, the conclusions of the meeting will, however, be of tremendous benefit to the nations of the Americas. “We are living in very complex times, when our governments face a historic responsibility that demands cooperation by all the nations of the Americas.” He stressed that recent international developments have clearly shown there is no safe haven from terrorist attacks and thus cooperation is indispensable.

Among agenda items, the meeting will also consider reports on the Justice Studies Center of the Americas; Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE); Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD); Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and other Related Materials (CIFTA); Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM); Working Group of Officials Responsible for Prison and Penitentiary Policies in OAS Member States; among others.

Developments and recommendations arising from this meeting will be referred to the upcoming 34th regular session of the OAS General Assembly, to be held in Quito, Ecuador, in June. They will also be referred to the fourth Reference: E-068/04