On 9-11 December 2024 the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) facilitated a regional workshop in South Asia on strengthening Central Authority capacity. The regional workshop was generously supported by the United States Department for State Bureau of Counterterrorism.
The regional workshop brought together country delegations from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, made up of practitioners with direct responsibility for the governance, operation and use of national Central Authorities and competent authorities. Further, three experts from Japan, Singapore and Thailand contributed expertise to the workshop, as well as delegations from the United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs (OIA) and United States Department of State Office for Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT).
Over three days of discussions and technical sessions focused on (i) outlining the institutional and legal frameworks for international judicial cooperation in participating countries, (ii) familiarising and raising awareness among participants of the IIJ Good Practices for Central Authorities, (iii) stressing the importance of effective Central Authority capacity for the successful investigation, prosecution and adjudication of terrorism and serious transnational crime cases, (iv) highlighting key aspects of technology-based and technology-enabled international judicial cooperation and (v) providing a forum for practitioners to identify concrete improvements to the Central Authorities and competent authorities, and processes by which they interact to facilitate swifter and more effective information sharing across borders.
The IIJ was honoured that Mr. Rohantha Abeysuriya, Senior Additional Solicitor of the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka and Mr. Christopher Smith, Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice of the United States America attended and provided opening remarks at the regional workshop.