The international community has recognized the damaging effects of corruption on economic and social development in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Target 16.4 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 requires States by 2030, to significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery andreturn of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda encourages the international community to develop good practices on asset return. Chapter V of the United Nations Convention against. Corruption (UNCAC) establishes the recovery and return of the proceeds of corruption as a “fundamental principle” of the Convention and stipulates that States parties shall afford one another the widest measure of cooperation and assistance in that regard.
In order to link the two agendas and constituencies, the meeting brought together asset recovery experts and development practitioners from around the world to explore the different approaches which have been applied by countries in the management of recovered assets and to examine how returned assets could be utilized to achieve the SDGs and the Addis Agenda.
Setting the stage
Welcoming remarks by the Host, Wedo Atto, Deputy Commissioner of the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of Ethiopia
Remarks by Representative of the Swiss Government, Ambassador Andrea Semadeni
Remarks by UNODC, Brigitte Strobel-Shaw, Chief of Conference Support Section, UNODC
Tour de Table
Facilitators/Rapporteurs: Simona Schreier (UNODC); Elsa Gopala Krishnan (StAR)
Bringing together two constituencies - Part 1
Current state of the international debate on the management of recovered and returned assets at the international level
The session was aimed at providing an opportunity for dialogue between asset recovery experts, development practitioners and specifically participants with a background on financing for development. In two parts, participants elaborated on past work streams and practical and policy agendas moving forward.
In part one of the session panellists discussed the current state of policy considerations on the management of returned assets and key issues and trends, also with regard to the intergovernmental processes in the context of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In particular, the panellists briefed the meeting about the outcomes of an international workshop entitled ‘Returning Stolen Assets’, held in Küsnacht, Switzerland in October 2013; and the Expert Group Meeting on the Management, Use and Disposal of Frozen, Seized and Confiscated Assets, held in Calabria, Italy in April 2014, as well as other international fora which placed asset recovery high on the agenda, such as the Anti- Corruption Summit held in London in 2016 and the work of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group.
Moderator: Salome Steib (Switzerland)
Panellists: Phil Mason (UK); Andrey Onufrienko (Russian Federation); Shervin Majlessi (UNODC/StAR); Hermione Cronje (StAR); Gretta Fenner (ICAR)
Facilitators/Rapporteurs: Simona Schreier (UNODC); Elsa Gopala Krishnan (StAR)
Presentations:
Phil Mason, Asset Return and Development - Current state of the international debate
Hermione Cronje, Compilation on the management and disposal of seized and confiscated assets
Gretta Fenner, Decision making processes on asset return
Andrey Onufrienko, Topical issues of international cooperation on recovery of corrupt assets from abroad
Shervin Majlessi, Global update & Emerging Issues in asset recovery, return and management
Bringing together two constituencies - Part 2
Relevance of Asset Return to implementing the SDG’s
Part 2 of the session placed the debate on recovered and returned assets in the wider development context. Panellists briefed participants on the relevance of asset return to the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The session discussed how SDG 16.4 can be translated into practice and what it means in terms of the management of seized and recovered assets.
Moderator: Belachew Gutulo (Ethiopia)
Panellists: Peter Chowla (UNDESA Financing for Development Office); Mohamed Omar Gad (Egypt); Marianne Loe (Norway); H.E. Eugenio Maria Curia (Argentina)
Facilitators/Rapporteurs: Salome Steib (Switzerland); Shervin Majlessi (StAR)
Presentations:
Peter Chowla, Brief intro to the Financing for Development follow-up process
