A Message from the Newly-elected President of the International Association of Prosecutors
My dear fellow prosecutors,
This past September we had the privilege to see each other again at the IAP’s 27th Annual Conference and General Meeting in the captivating city of Tbilisi, Georgia. This event, long overdue after two years of COVID restrictions and virtual meetings, proved to be an amazing success, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the IAP Secretariat and our Georgian colleagues, who were exceptional hosts. May I recommend those of you who couldn’t attend the Conference, to include Georgia in your bucket list. I promise, you will not regret it.
This Conference and General Meeting was the last one presided by my dear friend and colleague, now IAP’s Immediate Past President, Mr. Cheol-Kyu Hwang. During the General Assembly held on Tuesday, September 27th, I became the new IAP President for the next three years. As I expressed then, I feel truly honored to be considered worthy of the role I have been entrusted.
As we push forward and start leaving the pandemic behind, new opportunities open up to reaffirm and strengthen our commitment with the IAP and its standards, and to generate new synergies within our global community. 2023’s first semester promises to be a very fruitful year in this regard, with the upcoming IAP´s Regional Conferences in Istanbul, Türkiye, and Fortaleza, Brazil. And afterwards, of course, the 28th Annual Conference and General Meeting in London, next September. I invite you all to save the dates for these events in your calendars.
While we embark in this post pandemic new normality, we must not forget that these are still trying times in many different ways. And the IAP has become the voice of prosecutors around the world facing difficult situations. The increasingly complex nature of the crimes we must investigate makes it almost impossible to combat them in isolation. International cooperation is not only the new standard, but the way we will get through, together.
So please keep an eye on the Prosecutors International Cooperation Platform: the more prosecutors and Prosecution Offices registering their information, the more a successful tool it will become for all of us. This platform will allow IAP members to access the information of their counterparts all over the world, in real time, and screen for specialists or designated contacts on different subject matters, thus making cooperation across borders easier and swifter than ever. It is with your help and involvement that we will take the IAP to the next level.
For my part, know that you have my full commitment and enthusiasm to carry on the legacy of my predecessors and continue working towards achieving our organization’s objectives.
Warmest regards
Juan Bautista Mahiques