The Government of Guinea-Bissau, under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice, and in partnership with the United Nations Integrated  Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, organizes the Fifth National Forum on Criminal Justice from 2 to 4 December, in Bissau.

The Fifth Forum will take place at the Foreign Affairs Auditorium of the Government’s Palace, and, as in previous years, it will be a unique opportunity for cross-fertilization and reflection on topics of national interest in the context of criminal and military justice reforms. These include criminal justice priorities to respond to wildlife and forest crime, the design of a national criminal justice policy and the compliance of the draft bill code of military justice with international and national standards.

The strategic dialogue at the Fifth Forum aims at building consensus on the way forward, including recommended courses of action to address remaining challenges.

The main expected outcomes of the Fourth Forum are recommendations on the common criminal justice system and the military justice system reforms, with an impact on the peace process in Guinea-Bissau and the fight against impunity and corruption. The Annual National Forum on Criminal Justice is the only such event that brings all Bissau-Guinean criminal justice system actors at various levels and covering various sectors, together with regional and international partners.

The list of participants includes representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defense, the National Assembly, the judiciary, military tribunals, from the offices of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, justice sector unions, the law school, the Bar Association, civil society organizations and other stakeholders, so as to ensure its expected outcomes are inclusive and balanced.

Opening ceremony:  Foreign Affairs Auditorium, Government’s Palace, 2 December, 9:15 a.m. (“ Salão Nobre dos Negócios Estrangeiros – Victor Saúde Maria”, Palacio do Governo)

Closing ceremony:  Foreign Affairs Auditorium, Government’s Palace, 4 December, 16:20 p.m. (“ Salão Nobre dos Negócios Estrangeiros – Victor Saúde Maria”, Palacio do Governo)