The IAP signed MOU with AIAMP

The International Association of Prosecutors and the Ibero American Association of Public Ministries (AIAMP) signed a MOU formalising mutual cooperation between both Associations.

On 14 November 2023 the IAP, represented by its President, Juan Bautista Mahiques, Attorney General of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (AIAMP), represented by its President, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, Attorney General of Colombia, signed an MoU formalizing mutual cooperation between both Associations.

The objective of the MoU is to foster cooperation between AIAMP and IAP in order to promote the exchange of information, good practices, and successful experiences. Furthermore, the MoU seeks to promote the support of educational and training programs within both oganisations - in line with the IAP Global Training Academy - as well as to contribute to institutional strengthening through projects agreed upon in accordance with the needs and capacities of each Association.

The Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (AIAMP) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1954 that brings together the Public Prosecution Services of Latin American countries, Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Their aim is to strengthen the links of cooperation, solidarity, and reciprocal professional enrichment among them and to establish common strategies on issues such as organized crime and the treatment of victims and witnesses. To this date, 22 Public Prosecution Services are members of AIAMP.

Much like IAP, AIAMP has 8 specialist networks up and running. Among them, it’s worth highlighting that the work done within AIAMP’s Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors (RFAI - Red de Fiscales Antidrogas de Iberoamérica) has strongly contributed to the prosecution of several high-profile cases, mainly regarding transatlantic maritime drug trafficking.

The RFAI has put together the document "Good Practices Guide in Drug Matters”, issued in 2014 and updated in 2022. This document advocates good practice mechanisms to tackle some of the main challenges in the criminal prosecution of drug-trafficking organisations, such as the use of special investigative techniques, agile international cooperation mechanisms, the design of criminal prosecution strategies, and taking a gender-based approach to cases.

Thanks to our - so far - informal partnership with AIAMP, IAP launched the webinar “Good Practices in the Investigation of Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs” in November 2022, where RFAI experts shared their experiences in cooperating on a daily basis in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.
This MOU is the result of many years of working towards setting the foundations of very promising mutual collaboration and strengthening the IAP’s presence in Latin and Ibero-American countries.

Here’s the link to the video of the signing ceremony.