The following statement by the Basel Institute's Managing Director, Gretta Fenner, was aired at the Special Session of the UN General Assembly against Corruption on 4 June 2021. Watch the video here.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank you for the opportunity to deliver a short statement on behalf of the Basel Institute on Governance.

The UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS) calls for countries to adopt a wide range of measures to recover assets stolen through corruption.

This includes non-conviction based forfeiture (NCBF), which is emerging as a powerful tool to recover illicit assets when a criminal conviction is not possible.

What can we learn from actual cases of NCBF around the world? What should States consider when introducing NCBF legislation? How can it be applied more effectively and what challenges stand in the way?

On Wednesday, 2 June, we are honoured to be co-hosting a virtual side event at the 2021 Special Session of the General Assembly against Corruption (UNGASS) in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Register here for the 60-minute session at 19:00 CET/13:00 EST: Collective Action: Building Efficient Public-Private Partnerships.

Senior Asset Recovery Specialist Oscar Solorzano has emphasised some of the key opportunities and challenges of non-conviction based confiscation laws at a preparatory meeting for the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) against Corruption in 2021.

One of our two submissions to the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption 2021 concerns adapting domestic legislation and practice to enable states to fully cooperate in asset recovery matters.

One of our two submissions to the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption 2021 concerns private-sector engagement in the fight against corruption through anti-corruption Collective Action.

Our recommendation

UN Member States should put measures in place to promote the inclusion of anti-corruption Collective Action by the private sector as part of a risk-based approach to prevent corruption (in line with Article 5, UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)).