International cooperation networks
UNODC online Directory of Competent National Authorities | Commonwealth Network of Contact Persons | European Judicial Network | Eurojust | Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition of the Organization of American States | Ibero-American Legal Assistance Network (IberRed)
The Judicial Regional Platforms of Sahel and Indian Ocean Commission Countries
Judicial Regional Platforms have been established by UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch and Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch to strengthen international cooperation in criminal matters in the regions of the Sahel and the Indian Ocean. Their main focus is to prevent and combat forms of serious crime, such as organized crime, corruption, drug trafficking or terrorism.
The Platforms are international cooperation networks of focal points, who facilitate extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters procedures with the Member States of their Platforms. They also identify technical assistance needs for strengthening the judicial cooperation among them and sensitize the national stakeholders of the penal chain on the role and mechanisms of the Platforms. The national focal points meet, a least, once a year.
The first platform has already been instrumental in facilitating a number of procedures of extradition and mutual legal assistance.
- Judicial Regional Platform of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) countries: Comoros, France (Réunion), Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles, created jointly with the IOC and launched in the IOC headquarters in Quatre-Bornes, on 10-11 June 2009. A second meeting of the focal points took place in Saint Denis, Réunion, France, on 29-30 October 2009.
Chart: Charte de fonctionnement de la plateform régional Justice des pays de la COI
List of focal points: Liste des Points Focaux de la Platforme Régionale Justice de la Commission de l´Océan Indien
Tools: - Compendium of bilateral, regional and international agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance
- Practical guide for formulating effective requests for extradition and mutual legal assistance to the five States members of IOC
Fiches pratiques pour faire une requte efficace d´extradition et d´ entraide judicaire aux Etats de la commission de l´ Ocean Indien
- Judicial Regional Platform of Sahel countries, currently: Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, launched in Bamako, from 22 to 24 June 2010.
List of focal points: Plateforme Judiciaire régionale des pays du Sahel: Liste des points focaux et suppleants
UNODC online Directory of Competent National Authorities
The online Directory provides access to the contact information of competent national authorities designated under the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto.
With the view to facilitating communication and problem-solving among competent authorities at the interregional level, the Directory contains essential information on:
- State membership in existing international cooperation networks
- Legal and procedural requirements for granting of requests
- Use of the Organized Crime Convention as the legal basis for requests
- Links to national laws and websites
- Indication of requests that can be made through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
Members:
All State parties to the Conventions can access the Directory, which is password protected.
Commonwealth Network of Contact Persons
The purpose of the Commonwealth Network of Contact Persons is to facilitate international cooperation in criminal cases between Commonwealth member States, including on mutual legal assistance and extradition, and to provide relevant legal and practical information.
The Network comprises at least one contact person from each of the jurisdictions of the Commonwealth.
Members:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu and Zambia.
European Judicial Network
The European Judicial Network is a network of national contact points for the facilitation of judicial cooperation in criminal matters between the members States of the European Union.
National contact points are designated by each member State among central authorities in charge of international judicial cooperation, judicial authorities and other competent authorities with specific responsibilities in the field of international judicial cooperation, both in general and for certain forms of serious crime, such as organized crime, corruption, drug trafficking or terrorism. The Network is composed of more than 300 national contact points throughout the 27 member States, the European Commission and a Secretariat based in The Hague.
The contact points promote judicial cooperation between the competent local authorities for the purpose of, for example, the dispatch and implementation of requests for judicial assistance as well as the establishment of the most appropriate direct contacts. In addition, the contact points can help in resolving difficulties arising from the implementation of such requests. The contact points meet three times a year to gather knowledge on the different legal systems of European Union countries, to discuss difficulties in the provision of judicial assistance, and to make proposals for the resolution of conflicts.
The Network's Secretariat forms part of Eurojust but functions as a separate unit. It enjoys autonomy, as stated in paragraph 20 of the Council Decision 2008/426/JHA of 16 December 2008 on the strengthening of Eurojust.
Members:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
Eurojust
Eurojust is a judicial cooperation body created to help provide safety within an area of freedom, security and justice.
Eurojust was set up by the Council of the European Union in February 2002 ( Council Decision 2002/187/JHA) to improve the fight against serious crime by facilitating the optimal coordination of action for investigations and prosecutions covering the territory of more than one member State with full respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.
Eurojust is composed of 27 National Members, one from each European Union member State. National Members are seconded in accordance with their respective legal systems and are judges, prosecutors or police officers of equivalent competence, who together form the College of Eurojust.
In order to carry out its tasks, Eurojust maintains privileged relationships with the European Judicial Network, the European Police Office (Europol), the European Anti-Fraud Office and liaison magistrates. It is also able, through the Council, to conclude cooperation agreements with non-member States and international organizations or bodies such as UNODC for the exchange of information or the secondment of officers. At the request of a member State, Eurojust may assist investigations and prosecutions concerning that particular member State and a non-member State, if a cooperation agreement has been concluded or if there is an essential interest in providing such assistance.
In addition to cooperation agreements, Eurojust also maintains a network of contact points worldwide.
Eurojust stimulates and improves the coordination of investigations and prosecutions between the competent authorities in the member States and improves the cooperation between the competent authorities of the member States, in particular by facilitating the execution of international mutual legal assistance and the implementation of extradition requests. Eurojust supports in any way possible the competent authorities of the member States to render their investigations and prosecutions more effective when dealing with cross-border crime.
Members:
Eurojust is composed of 27 National Members, one from each European Union Member State.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition of the Organization of American States
The Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition has been under development since 2000, when the Third Meeting of the Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorney Generals of the Americas decided to increase and improve the exchange of information among member States of the Organization of American States in the area of mutual assistance in criminal matters
The Network has three components: a public website, a private website and a secure electronic communication system.
The public component of the Network provides legal information related to mutual assistance and extradition for the 34 States members of the Organization of American States.
The private component of the Network contains information for individuals who are directly involved in legal cooperation in criminal matters. The private site includes information on meetings, contact points in other countries, a glossary of terms and training on the secure electronic communication system.
The purpose of the secure electronic communication system is to facilitate the exchange of information between central authorities who deal with issues of mutual assistance in criminal matters and extradition. This system not only provides secure instant e-mail service to central authorities, it also provides a space for virtual meetings and the exchange of pertinent documents.
Members:
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).
Ibero-American Legal Assistance Network (IberRed)
The Ibero-American Legal Assistance Network (IberRed) is a structure formed by contact points from the Ministries of Justice and Central Authorities, Prosecutors and Public Prosecutors, and judicial branches of the 23 countries comprising the Latin American Community of Nations, aimed at optimizing instruments for civil and criminal judicial assistance and strengthening cooperation between countries.
Members:
Argentina, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
International Cooperation Networks - UNODC
via unodc.org
