Reducing illicit financial flows and recovering stolen assets is a priority for Uzbekistan. According to estimates made by the General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO), damages from corruption amounted to approximately 172.3 billion sums in 2020. 66% of these illicit proceeds were recovered. To strengthen the asset recovery system in Uzbekistan, UNODC is currently working with the GPO and other national stakeholders to build their capacity in this area.
“Our joint work with Uzbek authorities on asset recovery and management is important because this can unlock new resources to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Uzbekistan”, emphasizes Mr. Koen Marquering, Manager of UNODC’s Criminal Justice Program in Central Asia.
As a first step, UNODC and the GPO Academy completed a study to analyze the regulatory and policy framework, as well as the current situation, responses, and existing capacity of key national partners to manage and dispose of frozen, seized, and confiscated assets. On 6 October, the results were presented at an expert meeting with 14 staff of the GPO Academy, other national specialists and international experts joining online.
According to Mr. Uygun Nigmatjanov, Deputy Head of the GPO Academy: “UNODC supports the Government of Uzbekistan to optimize existing public finance flows for maximum impact on the SDGs. One way of doing this is by establishing an effective national asset recovery system and to use resources accumulated by recovering stolen assets for SDG investment”.
At the event, Mr. Paul Mylvaganam, UNODC’s international consultant presented the report with key recommendations for further improvement of the national system of asset management and disposal. The initiative is part of a joint program implemented by UNODC together with UNDP, UNICEF and WHO for the establishment of an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for sustainable development in Uzbekistan.
The program aims at accelerating the attainment of the SDGs in Uzbekistan through more efficient, transparent, and results-oriented use of public financial resources as well as better coordinated and integrated use of public and private resources in social sectors based on the specific needs of women and other groups.
“A key recommendation from the report is for Uzbekistan to establish an asset management body or unit to harmonize inter-agency asset management efforts”, notes Koen Marquering. “This also involves the creation of a central database of seized assets”.
Following the presentation of the report, work is set to continue to develop standard processes and organizational structures for Uzbek authorities to effectively deliver their functions on asset management, to promote inter-agency coordination and to enhance capacity of practitioners through training workshops and development of a manual on asset management procedures.
UNODC supports these efforts to establish and INFF and improve the management and disposal of seized and confiscated assets for the achievement of the SDGs with financial support from the Joint SDG Fund, which is an innovative instrument to incentivize transformative policy shifts and stimulate the strategic investments required to get the world on track to meet the SDGs.
Material in Russian language
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