US Ambassador to Mozambique, Douglas Griffiths joined the Mozambican Attorney General, Dr. Augusto Paulino, to sign an agreement which will make the Attorneys General Office (PGR) more effective in controlling lawfulness and combatting corruption, building institutional credibility and citizen trust.

The two year, $1.373 million project forms part of a wider assistance package of technical assistance, training and scholarships that the US Government has been providing to the PGR over the last 9 years.

A large part of USAID’s assistance to strengthen the PGR will focus on developing the capacity of its support offices, such as financial management, procurement, planning and human resources.  Additionally, the project will provide critical training for magistrates and justice officials at the National level.

The project will also aim at increasing PGR’s cooperation with civil society and improving articulation with other Mozambican Government institutions through a number of seminars on legal topics of interest, namely land rights, illegal immigration, and trafficking. These events will create opportunities for new relationships and improved collaboration among participating institutions in fighting corruption and emerging issues.

In addition, the project will improve access to and use of key legislation and other legal information by magistrates throughout the country in order to better serve citizens.

“I am confident that these efforts will result in a more strengthened rule of law in Mozambique, which will be crucial for the development of this country in the coming years.”- said Ambassador Griffiths at the signing ceremony at the Attorney’s General Office in Maputo.