"Corruption is part of what today we call transnational organized crime", says the Brazilian General Prosecutor, Roberto Gurgel

23 December, 2011 - Unanimously elected president of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors (AIAMP) for the 2012-2014 biennium, the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Brazil, Roberto Gurgel, advocates international cooperation as an essential tool to fight human trafficking, counter drug trafficking, achieve environmental sustainability and fight cyber crime. In an interview with UNODC, Roberto Gurgel, who will complete 30 years of service in the Public Prosecutors Office in 2012, sustains that fighting corruption also depends on international cooperation. "Corruption is part of what today is called transnational organized crime ... it is not just a relationship with corruption, but a relationship to crime as a whole. In this sense, the three fundamental tools for this fight to be effective are: cooperation, cooperation and cooperation," he says.

What is AIAMP and what is the role of this association?

AIAMP was born with the creation of an Inter-American Association of Public Ministries, created in Brazil, in Sao Paulo, in 1964. For a long time it remained this way, with occasional meetings. In the 90s this association became the Ibero-American Association, due to the entry of Portugal and Spain. The Ibero-American Association, now, has annual meetings.

What is the purpose of integrating the Prosecutor's Offices?

The aim of AIAMP is to promote such integration, to foster the exchange of experiences and information among the various Prosecutor's Offices in the region. It also seeks to provide training for members of these Prosecutor's Offices.

We know that countries are very different and yet very similar. What are the common problems or difficulties, as well as progresses in the prosecutor's integration process? In practice, how do these meetings of AIAMP work?

These meetings of AIAMP allow us to deeply know each other. Let´s say, to learn about these similarities among our offices, which are many, and also to know our peculiarities. Of course there are differences between our offices, but what one notices in these meetings is that the volume of problems and issues that are similar is much greater than anything else. So this exchange of information and experiences is always very helpful.

Corruption is one of the subjects the Public Prosecutor´s Offices have been discussing. What is the importance of discussing the issue at regional level? How to fight corruption in the region?

Corruption is part of what today is called the transnational organized crime. It is a crime that has no boundaries. And what we see today is that it is not only a relationship with corruption, but a relationship to crime as a whole. In this sense, the fundamental tools for this fight to be effective are: cooperation, cooperation, and cooperation. Cooperation is in fact essential.

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