ASEAN bolsters mutual legal assistance collaboration in criminal matters
The first meeting of the ASEAN Minister and Attorneys – General of the Central Authorities on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (AMAG-MLAT) opened in Bandar Seri Begawan on November 22.
Delegates at the first meeting of the ASEAN Minister and Attorneys – General of the Central Authorities on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (AMAG-MLAT) (Photo:asean.org)
Jakarta (VNA)🦹 – The first meeting of the ASEAN Minister and Attorneys – General ofthe Central Authorities on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (AMAG-MLAT)opened in Bandar Seri Begawan on November 22.
The meeting took note of the achievement of the elevation ofthe Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters into an ASEAN Treatyat the sixth meeting of the Attorneys-General/Ministers of Justice and Ministerof Law held on April 25, 2019, which was noted by the 34th ASEAN Summit. The meeting further took note of the successful outcome ofthe 43rd ASEAN Summit held on September 5, 2023, of which the ASEAN leadersalso welcomed the progress of the work under AMAG-MLAT and looked forward toits inaugural meeting which was scheduled in Brunei in furtheringthe effective implementation of the ASEAN MLAT to strengthening ASEAN’scapacity and resilience to combat transnational crime. The meeting commended the progress of the work undertaken bythe Senior Officials’ Meeting of the Central Authorities on Mutual Legal Assistancein Criminal Matters (“SOM-MLAT”) in supporting and strengthening the ASEAN member states’ cooperation on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters andensuring the effective implementation of the ASEAN Treaty on Mutual LegalAssistance in Criminal Matters (ASEAN MLAT). The meeting took note of the requests made by non-ASEAN member states to accede to the ASEAN MLAT and tasked the SOM-MLAT, with thesupport of the ASEAN Secretariat through providing the Guidelines for Accessionby non-ASEAN member states to the ASEAN MLAT and other work progress, tocontinue examining the requests with a view to providing the ASEANMinisters/Attorneys-General with appropriate assessment and recommendation. The meeting also expressedappreciation to Cambodia for offering to host the second AMAGM-LAT in 2025./.
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Delegates at the first meeting of the ASEAN Minister and Attorneys – General of the Central Authorities on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (AMAG-MLAT) (Photo:asean.org) 
