Arab League representatives meet in Malaga to strengthen cooperation against terrorism

The city of Malaga has hosted an important event in the global fight against terrorism. Representatives from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa met at the CT JUST Workshop – the European project that seeks to provide a criminal justice response to terrorism – with the aim of improving international collaboration in the fight against terrorism.   

Officials from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, together with experts from the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research, focused on finding innovative ways to collaborate more effectively. The focus has been on training liaison magistrates – key players who help improve communication between the countries’ judicial systems – and developing secure digital platforms to make cooperation smoother and faster.   

Two newly formed working groups have taken advantage of the workshop to propose a detailed plan for improving international judicial collaboration. Their goal? To present a comprehensive strategy to the Arab League Council of Ministers of Justice by 2025, improving the ability of member states to respond to cross-border threats with speed and confidence.   

Julián Cabrero López, senior judge and CT JUST’s main coordinator for the workshop, highlighted the importance of the event. “This collaboration reaffirms the commitment between the Arab League and the European Union to strengthen international security. It builds on the key dialogues held in Cairo in 2022 and demonstrates that both regions are serious about turning those talks into action,” he said.  

With this workshop, CT JUST has reinforced its mission to strengthen the judicial systems of Middle Eastern and North African countries in their fight against terrorism, ensuring that countries can act swiftly and effectively, together, to safeguard their citizens.