Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized the necessity for increased Arab and international efforts to institutionalize mechanisms for fighting terrorism during his address at the Regional Conference on International Judicial Cooperation in Combating Terrorism. The conference, held in Beirut, was attended by key figures including Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Abul-Gheit.
According to Kuwait News Agency, President Aoun highlighted the importance of exchanging information, providing judicial assistance, extraditing fugitives, and implementing judicial rulings. He commended Arab efforts and pointed out that cooperation in judicial, security, and information sectors is crucial to building a collective defense against new threats such as cyber and biological terrorism.
Secretary-General Ahmad Abul-Gheit appreciated the collaboration between the League and the European Union in combating terrorism. He mentioned the Criminal Justice Project, a joint effort by both entities, as a model of an integrated method to address shared security challenges in the region. Abul-Gheit reiterated the League's commitment to aiding Arab countries in forming effective legal and institutional frameworks to fight terrorism while respecting human rights and international law.
Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar, representing the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research, underscored the importance of awareness campaigns, proactive security measures, and judicial accountability to tackle the issue of foreign terrorist fighters. Judge Jose Villalobos, Director of the EU-funded Criminal Justice Program, emphasized the mission to bolster judicial cooperation in counterterrorism while maintaining legal diversity, human rights, and the rule of law.
EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Bartjan Wegter highlighted that conflicts create an environment conducive to terrorism, noting the necessity for enhanced international coordination and updated legal and security measures to counter the evolving tactics of foreign fighters. EU Ambassador to Lebanon Sandra de Waal added that the EU's Criminal Justice Program on Terrorism aims to unite prosecutors, judges, law enforcement, and legislators, creating platforms like the conference to strengthen collaboration with the League of Arab States.
The conference, organized by the League of Arab States and the European Union, is part of the Arab-European Cooperation Forum. It seeks to enhance judicial collaboration and expertise exchange through the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research and the EU-funded Criminal Justice Centre. The two-day event, attended by Arab and EU judicial and security officials, focuses on topics such as foreign terrorist fighters, law enforcement cooperation, information exchange, international coordination, and capacity-building in counterterrorism.