The work plan defined by the new presidency of the AIAMP includes annual training programs, and international technical assistance, among other initiatives to strengthen the investigative work against organized crime and the different criminal expressions of transnational importance.
Within the framework of the XXIX General Assembly of the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (Asamblea General de la Asociación Ibero Americana de Ministerios Públicos AIAMP), which takes place in Cartagena (Bolívar), the representatives of 20 public ministries and prosecutors from Ibero-America elected the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, as the new president of this international association that seeks to develop common investigative and judicial strategies to fight criminal phenomena that affect the security and tranquility of nations.
“As President of the AIAMP, I want to thank the unanimous election made by my colleagues in Ibero-America, the attorneys general who are part of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors. The main objective of this presidency, in this joint work that all the prosecutors who belong to this Association present today, is to defend the autonomy and independence of our Prosecutors’ Offices, of our Public Ministries, within the framework of our work in the judicial investigation”, stated attorney general Barbosa Delgado.
Likewise, he insisted on the need to strengthen cooperation and information exchange mechanisms to work in a coordinated manner against transnational crime.
“I want to reaffirm the judicial technical cooperation that we are having in different networks and working groups through our different Public Ministries and Prosecutor’s Offices and to reaffirm that the attack on those autonomies and independence that may arise within our region, and in Ibero-America, generate a serious attack on the social States of Law in our countries. In this sense, I would like to thank for their work and tell them that the commitment of the Colombian Attorney General’s Office and the Colombian Attorney General, within the framework of this presidency of the AIAMP, will be to work in order for this association, which has been in force for 68 years, to endure”, said the Attorney General.
In addition to the election of the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, there was also the nomination of the Attorney General’s Office of Spain in the General Secretariat of the AIAMP.
Work plan at the AIAMP
The work plan of the Colombian Attorney General´s Office in the AIAMP includes fundamental axes such as the strengthening of specialized networks and working groups to facilitate the operational performance of prosecutors and judicial officials in Ibero-America and consolidate the actions undertaken by the Association to create an annual training program for officials of public ministries and prosecutors.
Another challenge is to create an agency that coordinates transnational investigations to join capacities and identify common cases and problems between countries. Likewise, to constitute a database of records and statistics about the results obtained in this joint and coordinated work.
Memorandum of Understanding
In the second session of the general assembly, the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors signed two memorandums of understanding with Eurojust and the Prosecutor’s Office in Albania. The purpose was to strengthen the exchange of information and inter-institutional relations to fight corruption and organized crime.
The agreement with Eurojust seeks to promote strategic cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism, and the protection of victims.
For its part, the Colombian Attorney General’s Office signed two bilateral memorandums with the Dominican Republic and Andorra. The memorandum with the Dominican Republic seeks to strengthen bilateral judicial cooperation ties in the fight against transnational organized crime, with an emphasis on drug trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, financial crimes, money laundering, and cybercrime.
Finally, the agreement signed with Andorra is focused on cooperation in the fight against organized crime through the exchange of experiences, investigative strategies, and technical training between the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia and the Office of the Attorney General in Andorra.