Terrorism, Human Rights and Juvenile Justice to be discussed at the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting

Ghana's President John Kufuor will open the CLMM on 17 October at 5 pm at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Terrorism, human rights and juvenile justice in the Commonwealth are some of the major issues on the agenda of the 13th Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting (CLMM) in Accra, Ghana. It will take place from 17 to 20 October 2005 at the La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

Ghana's President John Kufuor will open the CLMM on 17 October at 5 pm at the Accra International Conference Centre. Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Florence Mugasha will address the opening ceremony.

Ministers and their representatives from the 53 - nation Commonwealth will discuss global and Commonwealth legal issues and their impact on international law at this triennial meeting. They will devise strategies to put in place appropriate legal responses to common problems. The Meeting will facilitate the sharing of experiences and the development of ways to strengthen collaboration on legal issues in the Commonwealth and enable member states to respond proactively in the interests of its 1.8 billion citizens.

Counter-terrorism initiatives on the agenda include curbing the abuse of refugee systems by terrorists and ways to combat the abuse of technology to prevent terrorist acts.

Other issues of common interest include the rights of landlocked states under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, private international law, international humanitarian law and good governance.

Ministers are expected to adopt several model bills on the protection of personal information and competition law, and receive reports of initiatives in environmental law, intellectual property law. They plan to issue a statement on basic principles of justice for victims of crime.

In the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta in November 2005, the Ministers will discuss:

• Legal Education and the Commonwealth - Developing Partnerships
• The Role of Law Reform Agencies in the Commonwealth
• Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality
• Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons in the Commonwealth
• A Legal Framework for Broadcasting Regulation
• Implementation of International Environment Instruments and Policy Development

Recommendations on these issues will be considered at CHOGM. The Meeting is expected to attract legal luminaries from the Commonwealth and international legal experts.

A meeting of senior officials of law ministries on 17 October will precede the ministerial meeting.

Note to Editors

A Communiqué will be issued at a closing press conference on 20 October at 5.30 pm at the Homowo Conference Centre's Media Room.

The Spokesperson for the Meeting is Geraldine Goh, Communications Adviser, Communications and Public Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, who can be contacted at +44 (0) 77 3090 0020 or 233 (0) 24 221 0168. E-mail: g.goh@commonwealth.int.

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