The meeting was opened by Mr Jorge Abbott Charme, Prosecutor General of Chile, current President of AIAMP. Mr Abbott Charme highlighted the importance of the interconnection of the judicial networks. International cooperation has become an essential tool for judicial cooperation since crime has no borders. Therefore, Mr Abbott Charme emphasized the value the first meeting between AIAMP and EJN for both regions, Ibero America and the EU. The close cooperation with the EJN, he said, is therefore for all practitioners within the Iberoamerica.
Ms Joana Ferreira, Coordinator of International Judicial Cooperation in criminal matters, National Prosecutor’s Office of Portugal, EJN Contact Point for Portugal emphasized the importance of networking and getting to know each other, including with the practitioners form other regions across the world. This is the key for successful international cooperation. Being a representative of a country belonging to several networks, including the EJN, Ms Ferreira shared her experience of the benefits of the synergies created through networks.
General Secretariat of AIAMP presented the structure and the functioning of the AIAMP. She presented the member states and the mission of AIAMP. Within AIAMP there are 7 specialized networks of prosecutors depending on the crime Composed by at least one prosecutor of each member country. AIAMP Executive Committee is composed of the Presidency, General Secretariat, Regional Vice-Presidencies and IIMP.
EJN Secretariat made the presentation of the EJN. The EJN is composed of Contact Points in the Member States designated by each Member State among central authorities in charge of international judicial cooperation and the judicial authorities or other competent authorities with specific responsibilities in the field of international judicial cooperation. The main role of the EJN Contact Points, defined by the EJN Decision as “active intermediaries”, is to facilitate judicial cooperation in criminal matters between the EU Member States, particularly in actions to combat forms of serious crime. The Secretariat also explained how the EJN functions as well the EJN cooperation with non-EU regions.
(Source of the image): AIAMP