Speaking at the opening session of the meeting of the Attorneys General of the countries party to the quadripartite agreement, held over two days, Hicham Bellaoui said that these efforts must continue given the worsening of terrorist crimes worldwide, whose methods and tools continue to evolve. He emphasized the need to combine efforts in this field.
Hicham Bellaoui also underlined that the development of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism is an absolute necessity, noting that the terrorist threat is not confined to any particular country. “It is a circle that hangs over all peoples and threatens all States,” he said.
He added that no country, regardless of its capacities, can face this scourge alone, as it endangers the security and stability of the international community. He therefore stressed the importance of activating the mechanisms of international judicial cooperation in accordance with the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, in order to facilitate the rapid exchange of information and prevent terrorist groups from using the territory of a State as a refuge escaping judicial prosecution.
Hicham Bellaoui highlighted, in this regard, the significant progress in judicial cooperation on counterterrorism among the four countries, particularly thanks to the role of liaison magistrates who facilitate communication between the specialized prosecution offices, especially since the creation of the quadripartite committee. This dynamic has provided the four States with an adequate platform to exchange information on legislation and case law, examine joint files and monitor the evolution of terrorist threats.
He also noted the coordination aimed at countering terrorist threats through the legal mechanisms provided for in national legislations, stressing that direct communication between the members of the four prosecution offices contributes to the proper implementation of judicial cooperation agreements and to the swift execution of mutual assistance requests related to terrorism.
However, Hicham Bellaoui pointed out that despite the effectiveness of the legal, security and institutional measures adopted to combat terrorism, the qualitative evolution of this phenomenon presents new challenges for States, particularly for judicial and security institutions. He said that the issue of “foreign terrorist fighters,” due to their ideological and organizational characteristics, remains one of the main challenges to this day.
He also emphasized the evolution of online platforms and social networks used for criminal propaganda and incitement, recalling that social networks have become an ideal space for terrorist groups because they allow secret communication and global outreach.
He concluded by affirming that the search for ways to combat terrorism in all its forms and developments has become an international consensus, reflected in international and regional conventions as well as in United Nations resolutions and recommendations, which have produced a coherent legal framework integrating both security and human rights dimensions. He stressed that the meeting in Rabat represents one of the effective international mechanisms in this field, particularly for sharing information on legislative initiatives and case law rules related to counterterrorism.
The meeting, held as part of strengthening the mechanisms of judicial and security cooperation against terrorism, aims to assess the cooperation achievements between the signatory countries, anticipate future development prospects, exchange best practices in preventing and combating extremism, and examine ways to improve reintegration programs.
The program of this meeting includes several technical sessions and in depth discussions on the follow up of terrorism cases before the courts, the acceleration of letters rogatory, the strengthening of information exchange mechanisms and the study of ways to develop radicalization prevention programs.
Editorial team/le7tv