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Centre for Social Studies contributes towards the consolidation of the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau

February 2020

The Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra, through the Permanent Observatory for Portuguese Justice (OPJ), represented by researchers Carlos Nolasco and Carolina Carvalho, was in Bissau on February 12 and 13, to carry out, respectively, the II Meeting on Knowledge, Sharing of Experiences and Good Practices and the Seminar on International Cooperation, Governance and the Rule of Law.

Following a first Meeting, held in October 2018, the II Meeting on Knowledge, Sharing of Experiences and Good Practices - Preventing and combating effectively against corruption, money laundering and organised crime, carried out in partnership with the Faculty of Law  of Bissau, sought to reflect on the increase in the quality and effectiveness of the institutional network's response, promoting the reinforcement of cooperation and collaboration between entities, whose competences have an impact in preventing and combating these criminalities, taking into account the country's socio-political context. The debate was led by representatives of the legislative, banking, tax, police and judicial systems.

The Seminar on International Cooperation, Governance and the Rule of Law, developed in partnership with the Amílcar Cabral University, also sought to promote the debate between national entities and representatives of international institutions in the country, with emphasis  on elements of the political and judicial power and organisations of the civil society, on the adequacy of international agendas to the specific context of Guinea-Bissau, in the context of combating corruption, money laundering and organised crime. Speakers included Guinean academics, representatives of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Guinea-Bissau, the EU, the UN and Portuguese Cooperation.

The arguments discussed included the country's vulnerability to corruption and other related crimes; the relevance of international cooperation for the effectiveness of the justice system and the achievement of the rule of law; the development of international cooperation in line with the country's needs, and in dialogue with national actors; and the implementation of agendas with a strong ethical component of international cooperation.

These activities, which aim to affirm and consolidate the rule of law in the PALOP and Timor-Leste, are carried out within the scope of the Project to Support the Consolidation of the Rule of Law (PACED), financed by the European Union and co-financed and managed by Camões, IP.