Palermo, legal diplomacy against transnational crime

Investigative coordination meetings in honour of Giovanni Falcone were held in Palermo, in the Aula Magna of the Palace of Justice, entitled "International judicial cooperation and the integration processes of transnational criminal groups: analysis and prospects for action".

The initiative, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the National Anti-Mafia and Counter-Terrorism Directorate, in cooperation with the Italo-Latin American Institute (IILA), reaffirmed the central role of the Italian approach in combating global criminal networks.

The Palermo discussions brought together representatives of investigative judiciaries from numerous countries and District Anti-Mafia Prosecutors from various national offices, who exchanged views on the expansion of Albanian mafia groups, the European projection of Latin American criminal networks, the ramifications of the 'Ndrangheta in Latin America, and emerging forms of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Particular prominence was given to the special session organised by MAECI with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the management, allocation and social reuse of assets confiscated from organised crime and corruption, which reaffirmed the value of the Italian model. This approach not only deprives criminal organisations of illicit wealth but also aims to return it to local communities. UNODC presented the United Nations report on transnational organised crime, which states that the number of violent deaths resulting from organised crime is equivalent to those caused by armed conflicts.

Within its legal diplomacy activities, led by the competent Directorate-General, the Italian Foreign Ministry continues to support the international projection of the Italian model, promoting-within multilateral forums, regional partnerships and cooperation programmes such as EL PACCTO 2.0, ITAJUS and Falcone-Borsellino-an integrated approach based on the rule of law, institutional capacity and shared security.

By combining remembrance and action, Palermo continues to stand not only as a symbolic place in the fight against the mafia, but also as an international laboratory for judicial cooperation. Giovanni Falcone's legacy thus continues to be translated into an operational method: building trust between institutions, striking at the economic dimension of crime, and responding collectively to threats that no State can face alone.