Ecuador proposes creation of regional criminal court

Ecuador proposes to create an International Criminal Court as part of the regional trade bloc Union of South American Nations (Unasur). The proposal was made by Ecuadoran Attorney General Galo Chiriboga on Monday at the opening of the 21st General Assembly of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors, being held in Ecuador's capital Quito. The assembly, which will last until Wednesday, seeks to strengthen cooperation in fighting against organized crime and related offences. "One of Ecuador's goals is to encourage the possibility of creating a criminal court for Unasur," Chiriboga said, adding the initiative "does not signify the penal failure of (member) countries, on the contrary, it is progress". According to Chiriboga, the sovereignty of member countries would not be undermined by the International Criminal Court, since the it "would lead the way to having tribunals and much broader jurisdiction." Ecuador's proposal has the backing of Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil, who believe such an agency could help with the prosecution of cross-border crimes, such as drug trafficking and money laundering. Also speaking during the opening ceremony, Ecuador's Justice Minister Lenin Lara said his government was keen to reach an agreement on the proposal at the forum of delegates from the Public Prosecutor's Offices and Attorney General's Offices of 15 countries. "It is important to rely on international instruments in order to fight organized crime together," said Lara. Created in 1954, the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors has 21 member countries, including Chile, Spain and Venezuela.