Madrid, Spain, 20-21 November 2013

Spain is the second country in having ratified the MEDICRIME convention.

The objectives of the conference were the following:

• to encourage states to sign and ratify the Convention;
• to raise awareness among members of parliament, law enforcement, NGOs, the media and professionals working in the field;
• to discuss the benefits and challenges of ratifying the Convention;
• to exchange experiences, know-how and networking.

The six Sessions of the Conference, each focusing on various key aspects tackled by the MEDICRIME Convention, brought to light the various challenges facing states with regard to the implementation of the MEDICRIME Convention.

At the opening session, the MoJ of Spain underlined that “when facing organised crime, no single response can be effective. A global response is needed”. During the Conference, many calls for countries to sign/ratify the MECRIME Convention were made as it is the only existing universal treaty which can legitimately fight the counterfeiting of medicines at a global level.