2nd Regional East African Judicial Officers Training Workshop on Counter-terrorism, Transnational Crimes and International Criminal Justice

Date: 2012-05-15 to 2012-05-18

Venue: , Tamassa Resort, Mauritius

A wide range of transnational and core international crimes are having an increasingly negative impact on African development, stability and security. These crimes include terrorism, organised crime and money laundering, cybercrime, piracy, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. As a result, there is pressure on domestic intelligence, law enforcement and criminal justice mechanisms to respond effectively and appropriately to these crimes. This requires improved policy and specialised capacity on the part of selected officials. Countries in East Africa have been particularly hard hit by these crimes. For example, despite efforts by East African countries to counter terrorism, several have recently suffered from terrorist attacks. Notably, in July 2010, terrorists targeted a popular restaurant and a stadium in Kampala, Uganda. Likewise, Kenya suffered from terrorist attacks in 2011 and 2012 when terrorists targeted nightclubs in Nairobi and other civilian targets in Garissa. Indeed, the threat of terrorism in East Africa remains high and the presence of al Shabaab and al Qaeda forces in Somalia has increased the vulnerability of the region to terrorism.  Beyond terrorism, other transnational and organised crimes also pose a major threat to the region. These crimes rely on the emergence of illicit transnational groups and networks, the use of technology, and increased exposure to the Internet in Africa. They have a devastating impact on development and stability in the region and are further aggravated by the prevalence of a culture of impunity and the lack of effective governance over maritime, land and cyber space. Given the diversity and complexity of these crimes, national systems need to be well equipped and better capacitated to respond effectively and appropriately to them. This requires adequate laws to facilitate the adjudication, prosecution as well as the technical expertise to deal with various aspects of the cases including issues of international cooperation. In furtherance of this, ICAP and ICJ-Kenya, in cooperation with the Judiciary of Mauritius is hosting a four-day training workshop for senior judicial officers on counter-terrorism, transnational crimes and international criminal justice. The purpose of the workshop is to support the development of specialised expertise and knowledge of senior judicial officers within the East African region on matters relating to complex transnational, organised and international crimes.

Presenters:

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