United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

South Eastern Europe

Enhancing asset recovery processes in the Western Balkans

13-14 September 2022, Tirana, Albania: In keeping with global efforts to combat corruption and counter illicit financial flows, representatives from the Ministries of Justice and Interior, Prosecution Offices, Asset Recovery and Asset Management agencies, and other stakeholders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Kosovo[1] gathered to discuss the development of strategic frameworks for asset recovery, the establishment of asset recovery offices, exchange of mutual legal assistance (MLA) as well as implementation and monitoring.

Currently, the jurisdictions of South-Eastern Europe are at various stages of the establishment/development of asset recovery offices and strategies. The meeting, therefore, allowed the participants to share experiences and best practices in these processes, including MLA in asset recovery cases for which UNODC will develop practical MLA guides tailored to the needs of each jurisdiction, contributing thereby to an improved regional and international cooperation.

This initiative is conducted under the project "From Illicit Financial Flows to Asset Recovery" as part of the UNODC Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe and funded with the generous support of the Government of the United Kingdom. The project focuses, among others, on increasing international cooperation and the exchange of information to enhance asset recovery processes in the Western Balkans, as one of the building blocks of the project.

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