Regional Workshop on Cooperation in Criminal Cases with a Focus on Corruption and Assets Recovery and Return and sixth technical coordination Task Force
5-6 September 2016, Tehran, I.R. Iran
A regional workshop on "Regional Cooperation in Criminal Cases with a Focus on Corruption and Assets Recovery and Return"was organised on 5-6 September in Tehran, IR Iran under Sub-programme 2 of the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighboring Countries (RP) in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the I.R. of Iran
The purpose of the workshop was threefold: identifying technical assistance requirements to further enhance Member States' ability to reduce risks of stolen assets, sharing understanding of current threats posed by money laundering and providing training on UNODC's legal tools related to asset recovery and sharing understanding of current threats posed by money laundering.
The workshop, which was supported by the Global Programme against Money-Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and the Financing of Terrorism and the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch, contributed to enhance the ability the Regional Programme countries to understand the importance of asset recovery methods and to reduce the risks associated with corruption.
More than fifty participants from I.R. Afghanistan, I.R. Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, I.R. Pakistan and Turkmenistan participated and actively contributed to the proceedings.
During the workshop participants discussed many different topics including possibility to the develop an informal Asset Recovery Interagency Network (ARIN) in West and Central Asia, with the support of UNODC as well as the promotion and support of a network between national UNCAC focal points.
The interactive nature of this event triggered lively and intense discussions on the challenges that participating countries are facing both at regional and international level, including those posed by the variety of legal systems at regional level as well as the lack of necessary legal instruments.
At the end of the workshop, participants agreed on the need to organize similar event in future, including advanced workshops on Asset recovery and Return and to promote best practices as well as building the capacities of the country in the region through development of professional networks.
Furthermore, in the margins of the workshop, the sixth technical coordination Task Force meeting under Sub-programme 2 of the UNODC Regional Programme took place. The task force, which is part of the governing mechanism of the RP, provided participants the opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on future activities that will be implemented under Sub-programme 2, as well as on further need and challenges that countries of the region are facing.
UNODC thanked Finland and the European Union for funding the workshop.