The Executive Committee of the Africa Prosecutors Association (APA) elected Morocco to lead the organization’s General Secretariat during its 17th annual meeting that kicked off on Wednesday in Marrakech. The Committee also approved the establishment of the Association’s permanent headquarters in Morocco.
The three-day meeting is dedicated to supporting the activities of public prosecutor offices across the continent and strengthening cooperation between these institutions.
Kenya will hold the APA presidency for a renewable two-year term, succeeding Egypt. Zambia has been designated to oversee the treasury.
In parallel with the meeting, an international seminar will address key topics through a number of sessions on the national and international legal framework for environmental protection, best practices in combating environmental crime, the role of the judiciary in environmental protection, and the right to a healthy environment as a human right.
88 participants including prosecutors and public prosecutors from 34 African countries are attending the meeting, as well as representatives and experts from organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, the European Network of Environment Protection Agencies, the Council of Europe, the International Association of Prosecutors, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Administrative Tribunal of the African Union.
El Hassan Daki, Morocco’s Attorney General and Head of the Kingdom’s Public Prosecutor’s Office; Mohamed Chaouki, outgoing President of the APA; and several presidents of public prosecution offices throughout Africa are also attending.
The APA meeting runs through Friday.