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FIFTH MEETING TO STRENGTHEN LEGAL COOPERATION IN CRIMINAL MATTERS AND EXTRADITION IN THE AMERICAS BEGINS IN PARAGUAY

This morning, in Asunción, Paraguay, the Fifth Working Group on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition of the REMJA (Meetings of Ministers of Justice or Other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas) was inaugurated by the Minister of Justice and Labor of Paraguay, Mr Huberto Blasco, the Attorney General, Mr. Javier Díaz Verón, and the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Juan Esteban Aguirre, as well as by the Secretary for Legal Affairs of the OAS, Mr. Jean Michel Arrighi. The aim of this meeting is to continue strengthening and creating concrete actions to facilitate legal cooperation among the member States of the OAS.

This meeting will also explore, among other things, efforts to facilitate the use of new communication technologies for legal cooperation in criminal matters, and model agreements to establish a legal framework for joint investigation teams and special investigation techniques.

For its part, the OAS General Secretariat of the OAS, through its Department of Information and Technology Services and Department of Legal Cooperation, will have the opportunity to present to the States the progress made and new proposals for strengthening the Criminal Matters Network, especially with respect to the secure communication system and videoconferencing.

The meeting also provides an opportunity for Delegations to consider the progress made at the national and subregional level with respect to legal cooperation on extradition and on the protection of victims and witnesses, in order to make recommendations to promote and strengthen the exchange of information and cooperation on these issues. These recommendations will be referred for consideration at the next Meeting of the Ministers of Justice (REMJA IX) to be held in Quito, Ecuador this upcoming November.

For more information on this meeting and the developments and activities of this Working Group, please visit the Criminal Matters Network of the OAS.