Towards implementation of the Ohrid Roadmap: Strengthening regional cooperation through CARIN and UNODC GlobE

20-22 September 2022, Split, Croatia: A key element of the asset recovery process is the ability of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors to exchange information with their counterparts from other jurisdictions. Effective and proactive sharing of relevant operational information, as well as obtaining and responding to mutual legal assistance requests, in a timely fashion is a prerequisite for a successful recovery of stolen assets. 

In order to strengthen the regional cooperation, more than 40 representatives of the public prosecution and law enforcement agencies, the Camden Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN) and UNODC Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE) contact points from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, together with experts from UNODC and Europol met and discussed the challenges in international cooperation in the asset recovery processes and actions which can be taken to overcome them.

The aim of the event was to gain a strategic overview of Europol’s activities in asset recovery, as well as to get acquainted with the operational support which may be obtained from the CARIN network. The workshop also served as an opportunity to discuss further actions toward the implementation of the Regional Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance Roadmap and the inclusion of the Western Balkan jurisdictions in the UNODC GlobE.

The regional workshop was held under the overall framework of the Regional Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance Roadmap, implemented with the generous support of the Government of the United Kingdom. The project aims to enhance the capacity of the Western Balkan jurisdictions to recover proceeds and instrumentalities of crime, as well as strengthen the exchange of information or evidence leading to seizures and confiscations across the participating jurisdictions.

This activity contributes to SDG Target 16.4 to significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.

https://sdg-tracker.org/peace-justice#targets