Somalia Joins Arab Justice Ministers in Talks on Regional Legal Cooperation

GOOBJOOG NEWS | ALGIERS: Somalia’s Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Hassan Macallin Mahmoud is leading a delegation to Algeria for a regional meeting of Arab justice ministers expected to address cross-border crime, legal cooperation and efforts to strengthen judicial systems across the Arab world.

The 42nd session of the Council of Arab Justice Ministers is bringing together ministers and representatives from Arab countries to discuss common legal challenges, including counterterrorism, money laundering, terrorist financing, cybercrime and corruption.

The agenda also includes proposals for new and harmonised Arab legislation, among them a framework for protecting personal data, a model law against hate speech and legal measures to protect children caught in armed conflicts and assist internally displaced people.

Mahmoud is accompanied by Somali Custodial Corps Commander Major General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Xaamud, reflecting the involvement of both the justice ministry and prison administration in the engagement.

The delegation arrived in Algiers on Wednesday and was received by Somalia’s Ambassador to Algeria, Yusuf Ahmed Hassan (Yusuf Jeego), Algeria’s Director-General of Prisons, Zerb Said, and senior officials from the Algerian Ministry of Justice.

Somalia’s participation comes as the government pursues reforms aimed at rebuilding justice institutions after decades of conflict and institutional disruption.

The country’s Justice Sector Strategy 2025–2029 sets out priorities that include strengthening legal institutions, improving access to justice, developing judicial capacity and reforming the corrections system. The National Transformation Plan 2025–2029 also identifies judicial reform, the rule of law and human rights protection as key areas of government policy.

Prison reform is another important part of the agenda at home. Somalia has been working to improve correctional facilities, strengthen custodial services and expand rehabilitation programmes to support the reintegration of former inmates into society.

The Algiers meeting provides Somalia with a platform to engage regional counterparts on shared legal challenges and exchange experience on judicial and institutional reforms. Its discussions are also expected to examine the implementation of existing Arab legal conventions and the development of new regional agreements.

The meeting is organised under the Council of Arab Justice Ministers, which promotes coordination among Arab governments on legal and judicial matters.