Morocco-France-Spain-Belgium quadripartite agreement: an innovative model of international judicial cooperation against terrorism

DISCOVER MOROCCO
The Attorney General at the Rabat Court of Appeal, Abdelaziz Raji, underlined on Wednesday that the quadripartite agreement between prosecutors specializing in the fight against terrorism in Morocco, France, Spain and Belgium constitutes a pioneering experience and an effective mechanism for international judicial cooperation in the fight against terrorist crime

During the opening session of the meeting of attorneys general parties to this agreement, Mr. Raji expressed great satisfaction with the level of judicial cooperation between these countries, affirming the desire to continue improving performance in order to contribute to meeting the challenge of the fight against terrorism and its prevention, while respecting fundamental freedoms, the rights of the defense and the legitimacy of procedures. He insisted on the need to adopt a comprehensive approach in the fight against terrorism, going beyond the simple repressive dimension, by including programs aimed at deconstructing the discourse of violent extremism. establishment of effective mechanisms to prevent and combat violent extremism

Mr. Raji clarified that this meeting constitutes a new step in the series of exchanges aimed at monitoring developments, sharing points of view and examining ways to strengthen and expand cooperation, with a view to developing an appropriate, effective and efficient strategy to counter terrorist crime and violent extremist discourse. The Belgian federal prosecutor, Anne Francine, for her part, insisted on the need to develop more effective modes of cooperation between judicial authorities, police forces and intelligence services, through a continuous exchange of information and the organization of regular and constructive meetings.

She stressed that mutual trust, permanent dialogue and the deep conviction that security is a common and interconnected issue are essential, especially in the face of the evolving methods of terrorist groups and the increased use of modern technologies.

The French deputy national prosecutor in charge of the fight against terrorism, Olivier Christin, described the international cooperation between these parties as “exceptional”, whether within the framework of the European Union between France, Belgium and Spain, or within the framework of bilateral relations between these countries and Morocco.

He stressed that the persistence of terrorist threats requires a constant strengthening of dialogue and collaboration, in particular through the meeting of attorneys general parties to the quadripartite agreement.

Deputy Attorney General at the National Court of Spain, Jesús Alonso Cristóbal, indicated that Morocco, the France, Belgium and Spain have long understood that turning inward in the fight against terrorism is not a solution, emphasizing the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation as an effective response to this global threat. He also thanked Morocco for its soil identity and its constant efforts in this area. This meeting is part of the strengthening of judicial and security cooperation mechanisms in the fight against terrorism.

It aims to assess the results of cooperation between the party countries, to anticipate the prospects for developing this collaboration to face the growing challenges linked to terrorist crime, as well as to exchange best practices in prevention and combat.

The opening session, marked by the presence of several personalities, notably the Wali of the security of Rabat-Salé-Témara-Khemisset, Mustapha Mfid, and the director of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, Cherkaoui Haboub, gave rise to technical sessions and in-depth discussions relating to the monitoring of terrorist cases before the courts, the acceleration of commissions requests, strengthening information exchange mechanisms, as well as examining means of developing reintegration and radicalization prevention programs.