Meeting of Arab League and European Union States on Judicial Matters: A milestone towards cooperation in the fight against terrorism

The city of Sigüenza, Spain, has hosted the first conference of Directors of Judicial Institutes of the Arab League States and Judicial Training Officers of the European Union (EU), a milestone of effective cooperation between all regions of the Arab world and the European Union in the fight against terrorism.

This conference organised by the European CT-Just project allows for a crucial step in the implementation of the EU-ASL Strategic Dialogue agreed in Cairo in 2022 and brought together 21 Arab League Member States, together with representatives of the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) and several European Judicial Training Institutes and eminent experts from the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague.

During three days of meetings and discussions, the groundwork has been laid for the creation of a training manual and a comprehensive training programme for judges and prosecutors specialised in counter-terrorism. This joint effort aims to provide an integrated and standardised approach to dealing with the complexities of terrorism cases, ensuring that legal practitioners are adequately trained to deal with these challenges within the framework of international law and human rights.

Unifying efforts and commitments

The meeting established a permanent task force to develop and adapt training materials to the realities of each country. This nine-member group will periodically review the progress of the programme to ensure that it adapts to emerging threats and challenges. In addition, the six working groups formed during the conference have identified key areas that should be addressed in the manual and training plan.

A promising future for judicial cooperation

This conference marks the beginning of an ongoing effort to improve judicial expertise in counter-terrorism through the creation of a reference manual and training programme. The heads of the Arab League Judicial Training Institutes have committed to adopting and adapting these tools to their national contexts, with the aim of establishing a common language and a coherent approach to tackling terrorism from a legal perspective.

Julián Cabrero López, the magistrate in charge of the activity, highlighted that the support and coordination provided by the European project CTJUST has been decisive in reaching these agreements. This joint effort represents a significant step towards the establishment of effective and sustainable judicial cooperation between the European Union and the Arab League, strengthening the capacity of judicial systems to deal with terrorism in a comprehensive and effective manner'.