Agreement signed with UIA in France

(Special, May 6, 2008).- CAF President & CEO Enrique García and the president of the International Union of Lawyers (UIA), Héctor Díaz-Bastien, today signed a cooperation agreement in which both institutions agreed to work in close coordination to strengthen the judicial systems of the Corporation’s 17 shareholder countries. The signing took place during a visit to France by the CAF president during which he will also hold a high-level meeting with the French Development Agency with a view to forging a strategic alliance between both institutions.

"The signing with the UIA confirms the interest of both institutions in strengthening justice and democratic institutions in the region, with a view to deepening civic values and guaranteeing peaceful coexistence. The agreement joins the Corporation’s efforts in favor of governance in Latin America," García said during the ceremony.

The UIA, which is a non-governmental organization, signed the agreement in line with its objectives of promoting the essential principles of law, participating in the development of legal science, contributing to the establishment of an international legal system based on the principle of justice between nations, cooperating in the activities of other national and international organizations, and establishing relations and exchanges between colleges and associations of lawyers and jurists and their members.

To develop the objective of this agreement, CAF and UIA agreed to maintain close coordination and cooperation in matters of common interest, identifying areas of mutual agreement and disseminating knowledge through seminars, training programs, research projects, among others, according to specific initiatives to be carried out jointly.

Alliances in favor of Latin America

The CAF president’s agenda also includes a meeting to be held tomorrow in the French Development Agency (AFD) in which he will explain the Corporation’s work in favor of the region and give a presentation on the situation and outlook for development in Latin America. "This is a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas on areas of cooperation with a view to forging a strategic alliance between the two institutions," García said.

The event was also attended by Jean-Michel Severino, AFD director general; Pierre-André Wiltzer, president of the AFD Administration Committee; Olivier Lafourcade, adviser to the AFD director general; Jean-Marc Laforet, assistant director for the Americas and Caribbean of the French Foreign Ministry; Henry De Cazotte, director of Foreign Relations and Communication; and Germán Jaramillo, CAF representative in Spain.