EUPOL COPPS facilitates cooperation between Palestinian and Italian bar associations – Press release/Non-UN document

Arabic: العربية

EUPOL COPPS facilitates cooperation between Palestinian and Italian bar associations

Ramallah, 9th September 2013 – The Head of the Palestinian Bar Association (PBA), Mr. Hussein Shabaneh, and his counterpart, Mr. Sergio Paparo, President of the Florence Bar Association, signed a cooperation agreement in Italy to establish a framework for the exchange of professional experience and for support of PBA activities.

Under the agreement the assistance will be provided to the PBA through legal education training schemes, advice on enhancement of organizational capacities, and through professional exchange of experience/knowledge between members of both bar associations.

The President of the PBA was accompanied by an EUPOL COPPS legal adviser.  The agenda for the visit included meetings with Italian lawyers’ associations and the President of the Florence Court of Appeal and of the First Instance Tribunal.

The President of the PBA also attended the 6th Conference of Presidents of the Mediterranean Bars which was held in Taormina, Sicily.  At the conference he outlined the difficulties lawyers encounter in their daily activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.  In addition, the EUPOL COPPS Defence Counsel Expert provided an outline of the mandate of the EUPOL COPPS mission.

During the week-long visit, which was facilitated by EUPOL COPPS, participants were briefed on a range of issues including cooperation between the bar and the judiciary.

On the sideline of conference, the President and Vice-President of the Italian National Bars Council, Mr. Guido Alpa and Mr. Carlo Vermiglio, discussed ways to support the PBA and considered a draft cooperation agreement between the Italian National Bars Council and the PBA. This agreement will be submitted for the approval to the Italian National Bars Council on 27 September.