In a joint effort with the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), ICAR has developed a new e-learning course for FIUs on analysing suspicious transaction reports (STRs). The course covers all stages from risk assessment of STRs, through planning and collection of information, to analysis and dissemination of intelligence to law enforcement agencies.
The ICCA was represented in panel discussions during two Game Changer sessions at the September 2015 edition of the International Anti- Corruption Conference (IACC) in Malaysia.
The first session addressed efforts from the private sector to promote transparency and integrity, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. The High Level Reporting Mechanism experiences in Colombia were highlighted in this regard.
The Basel Institute on Governance and Blomeyer & Sanz have been commissioned by Transparency International (TI) to conduct a Learning Review of Integrity Pacts (IP), a tool used in many countries for preventing corruption in public contracting.
Over the last few years the Compliance team at the Basel Institute have been tasked by several international companies that have launched internal whistleblowing and advice systems to identify issues related to data privacy and storing of information from their overseas operations when operating a system that centralizes reports and information in Switzerland.
The Basel Institute on Governance is partnering with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) to offer courses on corruption prevention, compliance and related security concerns. The first joint course on "Leadership in Anti-Corruption" will take place on 21-23 March 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland, and is led by Gemma Aiolfi, Head of Corporate Governance and Compliance, and Gretta Fenner, Managing Director.
The Basel Institute's Head of Governance Research, Dr Claudia Baez-Camargo, has been able to pass on some of her governance expertise to students of the University of Basel.
In the autumn semester 2015, she co-lectured a weekly course on "Contradictions and Sustainability of Governance" at the Sociology Seminar, building on a case-based, practice-oriented approach.
An expert from the Basel Institute's Public Governance Division has provided technical support to the "Health For All Programme (HAP) Albania", led by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.
The aim of the programme is to assist Albania with the development of an anti-corruption strategy in association with their efforts at strengthening primary health care in the country.
In 2015, experts from the International Centre for Asset Recovery conducted three training workshops in Kuwait City, as part of a one-year multi-component capacity-building programme for the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (KANCOR). Subjects covered in the three workshops included: "Financial investigations and Asset Recovery", “Corruption in Infrastructure Projects and Procurement”, and “Offshore Structures and Mutual Legal Assistance”.
In an endeavour to recover assets stolen by former Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych and his close allies, the Ukraine Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) is working closely with ICAR. On 12 November 2015, Basel Institute on Governance Managing Director Gretta Fenner met with Ukraine Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin in Kyiv to take stock of the cooperation between the two bodies and re-confirm their continued commitment to work jointly towards this common goal.
AML/CFT experts of the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) are providing technical assistance and guidance to the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) of the Republic of Uganda with a view to establishing and operationalising an effective financial intelligence unit.