1st Meeting of COMJIB and CMJPLOP Ministers of Justice

Chaired by His Majesty Felipe VI and the President of the Portuguese Republic, the ministers of justice from Ibero-American countries and Portuguese-speaking countries met for the first time in an official event.  

“Ibero-American countries and countries with the official Portuguese language together constitute two of the great political, demographic, economic and cultural communities of the 21st century, with two of the world’s most important languages and a growing global presence and vitality. For this reason, we can multiply the effectiveness of our efforts and use the strength of our communities to defend and project our values”, said King Felipe VI.   

At the centre of the meeting was the promotion of a cooperation agreement that includes all the countries that are members of the Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Ibero-American Countries (COMJIB) and the Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CMJPLOP) at which the Iber@ Platform was presented, with the General Council of the Spanish Notaries having responsibility for its technological development.   

This first meeting of COMJIB and its counterpart CMJPLOP has laid the foundations to launch of a pioneering initiative that includes a hundred institutions in a closed computer system, with maximum security guarantees for quick and reliable exchanges of requests for legal cooperation and features such as video conferencing and digital signature.  

“Our desire to ensure greater cooperation will be reinforced by this meeting and we will spare no effort so that our joint action becomes a visible and effective reality as soon as possible” said the Minister of Justice, Pilar LLop.  

This platform strengthens the fight against crimes such as corruption, drugs and human trafficking and, with the active participation of the states and public powers, contributes to the construction and consolidation of more just and peaceful societies, providing greater protection to victims and guaranteeing general access to justice. In short, it creates a reinforced social space for ensuring that effective judicial protection is available to legal operators.  

The signing of an agreement between COMJIB and FIIAPP that will cover Portuguese-speaking countries has also been especially important. “We hope that the signing of this agreement will allow us to share experiences from the Latin American sphere and Portuguese-speaking countries,” said Anna Terrón, the director of FIIAPP, during her speech. FIIAPP and COMJIB have been cooperating for decades. Currently, both institutions are working with European projects such as EL PAcCTO and EUROSOCIAL+, two key initiatives for Europe, for Latin America and for Spain. The signing of this agreement lays the foundations for a triangular cooperation that will strengthen judicial coordination between Europe, Latin America and Spain.   

In addition, FIIAPP, jointly with AECID, also manages European projects in Portuguese-speaking countries such as Mozambique to combat corruption and strengthen judicial institutions.

The strategic alliance of the two Conferences of Ministers of Justice of the Ibero-American and Portuguese-speaking nations marks a world milestone in the presence of the Spanish Head of State, King Felipe VI.