STATES OF THE AMERICAS TO CONSIDER PROPOSED AMERICAN CONVENTION ON EXTRADITION IN BRASILIA 

On May 16 in Brasilia, Brazil, as part of the work of the 6th Meeting of the REMJA Working Group on Legal Cooperation in Criminal Matters, the delegation of Argentina will present the central authorities and agencies responsible for international legal cooperation on mutual assistance in criminal matters and extradition in the OAS member states with a proposal for a new inter-American legal instrument governing extradition-related matters. 

Drawn up by the Argentine delegation, with the support of the delegations of Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the proposal will be presented pursuant to one of the mandates adopted by the ministers of justice and attorneys general of the Americas at REMJA IX in Quito, Ecuador, in November 2012. 

In drafting the document, the Argentine delegation conducted a detailed analysis of the replies to the questionnaire that, with the support of the REMJA Technical Secretariat (the OAS Department of Legal Cooperation), was distributed to the OAS member states’ competent authorities. This enabled it to identify the status of extradition in the Hemisphere, particularly the obstacles faced by countries in applying the mechanism, the different regulations existing as regards the grounds for denial, and the absence of rules governing certain new developments, such as temporary surrenders and the use of new information technologies in extradition proceedings.  

Thus, the proposal to be presented in Brasilia seeks to standardize the rules and simplify the requirements governing extradition; in addition, it offers new tools to streamline proceedings and regulates certain situations that can pose obstacles to extradition. The proposal includes such figures as simplified extradition and temporary surrender, among other provisions. 

At the 6th Meeting, along with the Argentine delegation’s proposal, the Working Group will also be able to consider the proposed Additional Protocols to the Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Nassau Convention). One of these additional protocols covers the use of new communication technologies and hearings by videoconference and will be presented by the delegation of El Salvador, while the other covers joint investigation teams and will be presented by the delegation of Chile. 

For further information on the 6th Meeting and the Working Group, please visit the OAS Criminal Matters Network here.