Today, Vice Minister Marina Sereni opened a high-level seminar, by video conference, to kick start the “Falcone Borsellino Programme”.
This is an Italian initiative of legal diplomacy and technical assistance in the field of justice and security, in favour of Latin American and Caribbean countries, for combating transnational organised crime.
“We have recently marked the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime – the Vice Minister explained – signed in Palermo and inspired by Giovanni Falcone who, before many others, had understood how mafias were able to easily adapt to their socio-economic environment. In an increasingly globalised world organised criminal organisations are becoming increasingly transnational. Falcone stressed the need for regulatory harmonisation between countries to effectively fight organised crime, which eventually culminated in the UN Convention. This is why we dedicate this Programme to Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who worked together for a long time, changing the future of the fight against the Mafia.”
Outlined by the Directorate-General for Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the project is funded by the “Missions Decree”.
The Project will be carried out by the IILA, the Italo-Latin American Institute (the international organisation that promotes relations between Italy and the South American countries), tasked with coordinating the competent Italian law enforcement institutions.
Speakers included the President of the IILA, the Ambassador of Paraguay, Melgarejo Palacios, the Italian Chief of Police Gabrielli, the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Cafiero De Raho, the Secretary General of the IILA, Antonella Cavallari and the Director General of Global Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Luca Sabbatucci, who closed the event.
The Programme is scheduled to run throughout 2021, featuring training courses and thematic seminars, with a focus on the prevention of corruption in public procurement contracts, on the fight against cybercrime and, following an already traced tradition, on in the fight against money laundering and stepping up judicial confiscation.
The Falcone Borsellino Project represents one of the key results of the 9th Italo-Latin American Conference and will be the subject of an in-depth study at the next edition of the Conference, scheduled for October 2021.
