International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law

The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, also referred to as the IIJ or Malta Institute , is an international body, which aims to improve governance within countries, with its main focus on counter-terrorism . The IIJ was founded in 2014 by 12 founding nations and is based in Valletta , Malta . It is often referred to as a Global Counter-Terrorism Forum inspired institution. The founding nations include the Netherlands , United Kingdom , France, the United States and the EU. It also partners with a number of International federations, such as the United Nations and the EU.

Since 2014, the IIJ has focused on improving the rule of law within Africa and also the Middle East . It’s main objective is to train justice sector practitioners and also minimizes terrorism in the regions.

History

In June 2014, it was announced that the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) would open in Valletta , Malta . The Institute is closely supported by the Global Counterterrorism Forum and the United Nations . ^[1]The IIJ was conceived during meetings by Ministers and senior officials of the Global Counterterrorism Forum , an organization of about 40 countries from around the globe. ^[2] It was founded by twelve founding nations, with the help of institutions such as the EU and the United Nations . The nations included Algeria , France, Italy , Jordan , Malta , Morocco , the Netherlands , Nigeria , Tunisia , Turkey , United Kingdom , and the United States . ^[3] The IIJ was referred to as a “ Global Counterterrorism Forum inspired institution “ at the time of its foundation and is often compared to two similar institutions, Hedayah and GCERF. ^[4]

The Valletta Statement on the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law Foundation. ^[5] The International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), the Global Center on Cooperative Security (GCCS), and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). ^[1]

After the foundation of the IIJ, it became clear that its main focus is counter-terrorism . While the IIJ undertakes a variety of roles, the majority of its programs are closely related to counter-terrorism. ^[6] It AIMS to Provide Support to lawmakers, police, Prosecutors, judges, and similar staff is how to deal with challenges and Terrorism Within Their regions and borders. One example is how Such counter terrorism laws Could Be Implemented and how rule of lawcan Promote and societies Improve Within some areas, by Promoting justice , security and human rights. The IIJ at the time planned to play an influential role in supporting African and Middle Eastern countries that were in a period of transition. ^[3]

After the Institution opened, it held its inaugural support and training session. The two-day event brought together prosecutors and investigators who discussed how to deal with terrorist cells in the Sahel and Maghreb . The focus is on how to stem the flow of foreigners joining ISIS ‚fight in Syria from the two African regions. Following the inaugural event, a number of workshops were scheduled, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Libya and other North African countries to stem the funding of terrorism. ^[3]

In late 2014, the University of Malta and the IIJ announced that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote their goals to advance peace and security. The MOU will result in a collaboration between the two parties on research and training, while expertise will also be shared. ^[7]

By the second anniversary, over a thousand professionals, including lawmakers, police and judges had received training or support from the IIJ. This support continues their original strategy of addressing terrorism and minimizing criminal activity. ^[8]

The IIJ will be moving its operations to Birgu from Valletta , after an announcement from the Maltese government in 2016. The majority of the renovations for the historical building were paid for by the United States , according to the Malta Independent . The move is expected to take place after 2019 oz renovations are complete. ^[9]

Operations

Malta was chosen as the home for the institute and is the location of the place. Its geographical location is centralized to provide support between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. While the twelve founding nations play a part in the Institute operates, the day-today operations are controlled by the Executive Secretary. ^[3]

After the launch of the IIJ, the International Center for Counter-Terrorism suggéré in a press release que le focus of the IIJ Would not only be at Improving Governance Focused Within regions associated with terrorism, drank aussi Would work to Strengthen criminal justice systems and also build regional judicial systems to improve local policing in areas of the world that had been previously neglected. ^[1] In late 2014, the IIJ hosted a United Nations -based summit to discuss the role of foreign terrorist fighters play in every society and what laws could be introduced. ^[10]

The theme of IIJ’s summits continued in 2015, when they held a roundtable meeting for lawmakers from North Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The roundtable discussed how they could implement support for senior lawmakers and government officials in the regions present. The policy is supported by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the project is implemented by the Global Center on Cooperative Security (Global Center) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). ^[11]

The Valletta Recommendations Relating to Contributions by Parliamentarians in Developing an Effective Response to Terrorism was developed during workshops by the IIJ. The then Maltese Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abelathen addressed a two-day workshop in early 2017, discussing how the terrorist groups such as ISIS needed to be stopped from spreading their propaganda on social media. Abela stated that he and the IIJ were working closely with Google , Facebook and Twitter on the matter. ^[12] [13]

References