UNODC's first joint counter-terrorism initiative with the European Commission, Slovenian Euromed Presidency and the Government of Morocco

From 5 to 6 May 2008, UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch held its first joint activity with the European Commission: the Euro-Mediterranean workshop on the mechanisms of international cooperation in criminal matters pertaining to counter-terrorism, organized in cooperation with the Kingdom of Morocco and the Slovenian Euromed Presidency.

The workshop, which was hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco and held in Rabat, was attended by approximately 100 expert practitioners from 26 European and Mediterranean countries as well as 12 international organizations. During the two-day workshop, participants presented their work and views from the national, regional and international perspectives, focusing on practical aspects of international cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. This provided them with a unique platform to share best practices and learn from each other's experiences, while at the same time enhancing their knowledge and understanding of different judicial systems.

In this regard, participants gave various relevant presentations, including on the universal legal regime against terrorism, the EU legal framework related to counter-terrorism and the work of various regional and international organizations in this field. Furthermore, the role of national legal attachés and the use of different mechanisms and tools in facilitating international cooperation were addressed. The exchange of views and substantive discussions led to the adoption of a set of recommendations at the end of the workshop, including the designation of focal points by each country and promoting the system of national legal attachés or "magistrats de liaision" in order to facilitate international cooperation in criminal matters.