28-29 November 2018 - In the framework of CRIMJUST in partnership with Argentina's Procurator Office against Drug Trafficking (PROCUNAR) and the Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors of Iberoamerica, a specialized course on the prosecution of drug trafficking took place in Argentina. The training's main objective was to present practical measures to strengthen the prosecution of drug trafficking, as the regional expansion of organized crime in Latin America poses important challenges.
The workshop of regional scope counted with the participation of 45 prosecutors, judges and judicial officers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, who were not only beneficiaries of the course but also participated as experts, sharing best practices and discussing methods of collaboration, with the aim of improving effective regional criminal justice cooperation.
During the opening session, the minister of security of Argentina, Patricia Bullrich, highlighted Argentina's commitment to counter organized crime by means of cooperation and criminal prosecution. In addition, the General Prosecutor of Argentina, Eduardo Casal, emphasized the progress in matters of international cooperation against drug trafficking and the compromise of authorities to support initiatives that foster cooperation.
The first session, delivered by CRIMJUST Global Coordinator Marco Teixeira, focused on the project's integrated and holistic approach against organized crime. The agenda during the two days also covered further topics such as international cooperation, mutual legal assistance, and specialized techniques for the prosecution of drug trafficking.
Experts from law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, as well as from UNODC shared their knowledge and discussed challenges on practical measures against organized crime and drug trafficking, for instance by providing expertise on mechanisms of precursors control and dismantlement of clandestine laboratories.
In addition, representatives from Brazil and Argentina jointly introduced the mandate of the network of anti-drug prosecutors of Iberoamerica and presented flexible mechanisms of informal and formal information exchange that facilitate efficient cooperation.
In conclusion, the course increased knowledge of a variety of mechanisms to foster international cooperation, thereby strengthening the overall criminal investigation capacities of participating Latin American countries.
Under the framework of the CRIMJUST project funded by EU Cocaine Route Programme, UNODC and its partners (INTERPOL and TI) aim to assist Member States to enhance their capacity and integrity of criminal justice institutions to detect, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate illicit cocaine trafficking cases, and to foster cooperation at the interregional level for effective action to tackle drug trafficking and related organized crime.
For more information:
- European Union "Cocaine Route Programme"
- INTERPOL
