The annual meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) brought together about 500 prosecutors, including 100 prosecutor generals, from 100 different countries, organizers said.
"It is a great honor for South Korea to host the annual meeting for the second time since 2004," Kim Joon-gyu, prosecutor general of South Korea, said in his opening speech.
"The basic role of prosecutors is to keep social order and firmly establish state discipline and defend human rights. I hope this meeting will produce a deeper discussion on the matter."
Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said crimes are increasingly turning transnational due to the trend of globalization.
"I hope it will be a chance to study a smarter way of serving the people and set a new role for prosecutors," Kim said in his congratulatory speech.
During the three-day conference, participants will make speeches and hold discussions on expanding prosecutors` roles and improving their public service.
The fourth biennial World Summit of Prosecutor Generals, to be held in Seoul on Thursday and Friday, will come on the heels of the prosecutors` meeting.
It is the first time that the IAP annual assembly and the summit of top prosecutors have been held in the same country.
The IAP, established in 1995, is the only global non-governmental organization of prosecutors, established by the United Nations in Vienna in 1995, to promote international cooperation among prosecutors in addressing transnational crimes like drug trafficking, money laundering and fraud.
It has developed into an organization with about 200,000 members from more than 120 states.
(T.A045/H-AK/B002)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
