Preventing and Combating Corrupt Practices and the Transfer of Proceeds of Corruption, Facilitating Asset Recovery and Returning Such Assets to Legitimate Owners, in Particular to Countries of Origin, in Accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

A/RES/79/190View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 107 Crime prevention and criminal justice, published in 2024.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2013–2024

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2024	A/RES/79/190	Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption	11,696	80%Compare
2023	A/RES/77/235	Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption	10,178	70%Compare
2020	A/RES/75/194	Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption	7,453	95%Compare
2019	A/RES/73/190	Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption	7,248	86%Compare
2017	A/RES/71/208	Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption	6,861	70%Compare

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

3 entities

(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited
Subprogramme 7	Institutions and digital transformation	22
Subprogramme 1	Macroeconomic policy, finance and governance	11
Subprogramme 3	Countering corruption	47

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

3 entities

(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
Subprogramme 7	Institutions and digital transformation	22	—
Subprogramme 1	Macroeconomic policy, finance and governance	11	—
Subprogramme 3	Countering corruption	47	—

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

5 reports · 2013–2018

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2018	A/73/131	Implementation of the mandates of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, with particular reference to the technical cooperation activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/71/208
2016	A/71/114	Implementation of the mandates of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, with particular reference to the technical cooperation activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/69/199
2015	A/70/99	Implementation of the mandates of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, with particular reference to the technical cooperation activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/69/199
2014	A/69/94	Implementation of the mandates of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, with particular reference to the technical cooperation activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/67/192A/RES/68/195
2013	A/68/127	Implementation of the mandates of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, with particular reference to the technical cooperation activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/67/192

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 subjects

Corruption Crime Prevention Criminal Assets Criminal Justice Illicit Funds Transfer International Cooperation Laundering of Funds

What’s in this document?

84 operative paragraphs

Welcomes the holding of the tenth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Atlanta, United States of America, from 11 to 15 December 2023;

Also welcomes the adoption on 15 December 2023 by the Conference of the States Parties at its tenth session of all resolutions³⁰ and decisions of that session;³¹

³⁰Resolution 10/1, entitled “Atlanta 2023: promoting integrity, accountability and transparency in the fight against corruption”; resolution 10/2, entitled “Strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in small island developing States”; resolution 10/3, entitled “Follow-up to the Marrakech declaration on the prevention of corruption”; resolution 10/4, entitled “Methodologies and indicators for measuring corruption and the effectiveness of anti-corruption frameworks”; resolution 10/5, entitled “Measures to address corruption involving organized criminal groups”; resolution 10/6, entitled “Enhancing the use of beneficial ownership information to strengthen asset recovery”; resolution 10/7, entitled “Promoting international cooperation in civil and administrative proceedings related to corruption as provided in the United Nations Convention against Corruption”; resolution 10/8, entitled “Protection of reporting persons”; resolution 10/9, entitled “Promoting transparency and integrity in public procurement in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”; resolution 10/10, entitled “Addressing the societal impacts of corruption”; resolution 10/11, entitled “Follow-up to the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration on strengthening international cooperation in the prevention of and fight against corruption during times of emergencies and crisis response and recovery”; and resolution 10/12, entitled “Providing incentives for the private sector to adopt integrity measures to prevent and combat corruption”.

³¹Decision 10/1, entitled “Venue for the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption”; and decision 10/2, entitled “Further extension of the second cycle of the Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption”.

Takes note with interest of decision 10/1 of 15 December 2023 of the Conference of the States Parties, in which the Conference decided that its eleventh session would be held in Qatar in 2025;

Condemns corruption at all levels and in all its forms, including bribery, as well as the laundering of proceeds of corruption and other forms of economic crime;

Expresses concern about the magnitude of corruption at all levels, including the scale of stolen assets and proceeds of corruption, and in this regard reiterates its commitment to preventing and combating corrupt practices at all levels, in accordance with the Convention;

Reaffirms the strong commitment of the States parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption as the most comprehensive, legally binding universal instrument on corruption, and to integrating it into domestic legal systems;

Welcomes the fact that 191 parties have already ratified or acceded to the Convention, thus making it an instrument enjoying a status very close to universal adherence, and in this regard urges all Member States and competent regional economic integration organizations, within the limits of their competence, that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to the Convention as a matter of priority, and urges all States parties to take appropriate measures to ensure its full and effective implementation;

Encourages States parties to the Convention to review its implementation and commit to making it an effective instrument to deter, detect, prevent and counter corruption and bribery, prosecute those involved in corrupt activities and encourage the international community to develop good practices on asset return, and, furthermore, to strive to eliminate safe havens that create incentives for transfer abroad of stolen assets and for illicit financial flows;

Reaffirms the comprehensive set of commitments contained in the political declaration adopted by the special session of the General Assembly against corruption, held from 2 to 4 June 2021, with regard to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and to stepping up efforts to promote and effectively implement the anti-corruption obligations and robust commitments under the international anti-corruption architecture;

Reiterates the invitation to the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, as the treaty body with prime responsibility for promoting and reviewing the implementation of the Convention, to follow up and build upon the political declaration;

Notes with appreciation the work carried out under the Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and by the Implementation Review Group, and urges Member States to continue to support this work and make every possible effort to provide comprehensive information and adhere to the timelines for review, as contained in the guidelines for governmental experts and the secretariat in the conduct of country reviews;³²

³²CAC/COSP/IRG/2010/7, annex I.

Welcomes the progress made in the first and second review cycles of the Mechanism and the efforts made by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in support of the Mechanism, and encourages the use of the lessons learned in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Mechanism, as well as the implementation of the Convention;

Strongly encourages States parties to the Convention to continue to actively engage in the Implementation Review Mechanism on chapter II (Preventive measures) and chapter V (Asset recovery) of the Convention, and invites them to provide appropriate extrabudgetary resources to contribute to the financing of the Mechanism;

Notes with appreciation the work of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Groups on Asset Recovery and on the Prevention of Corruption, of the Implementation Review Group and of the open-ended intergovernmental expert meeting to enhance international cooperation under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and encourages States parties to the Convention to support the work of all these subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention;

Calls upon States parties to the Convention to continue and to reinforce the effective implementation of the preventive measures outlined in chapter II of the Convention and in the resolutions of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention;

Also calls upon States parties to the Convention to fulfil their commitments, in accordance with its terms, to criminalize the bribery of foreign public officials and officials of public international organizations, and to strengthen their efforts to effectively enforce these laws;

Encourages all States parties to the Convention to strengthen their commitment to effective national action and international cooperation to give full effect to chapter V of the Convention and to contribute effectively to the recovery of the proceeds of corruption;

Urges Member States to combat and penalize corruption in all its forms, as well as the laundering of proceeds of corruption, to prevent the acquisition, transfer and laundering of proceeds of corruption and to work for the prompt recovery and return of such assets in accordance with the principles of the Convention, including chapter V;

Calls upon States parties to the Convention to make available online, including by considering the use of open data formats, as much government information as feasible, subject to relevant limitations in domestic law and data privacy, in relation to the implementation of the Convention, in order to enable greater transparency, accountability and efficiency;

Recalls the decision of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention to call upon States parties to give particular and timely consideration to the execution of international mutual legal assistance requests that need urgent action, and to ensure that the competent authorities of requested States have adequate resources to execute requests, taking into account the particular importance of the recovery of these assets for sustainable development and stability;³³

³³CAC/COSP/2013/18, sect. I.A, resolution 5/3, para. 6.

Urges States parties that have yet to designate a central authority for international cooperation in accordance with the Convention to do so, and to appoint focal points for the purposes of international cooperation and mutual legal assistance in asset recovery, and where appropriate, encourages States parties to make full use of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Asset Recovery to facilitate cooperation and the implementation of the Convention, as well as to consider making use of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities and other existing networks and capabilities, such as that of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and financial intelligence units, as appropriate;

Encourages States parties to the Convention to use and promote informal channels of communication and the possibility of spontaneous exchange of information, as permitted by domestic law, in particular prior to making formal requests for mutual legal assistance, by, inter alia, designating officials or institutions, as appropriate, with technical expertise in international cooperation in asset recovery to assist their counterparts in effectively meeting requirements for mutual legal assistance;

Urges States parties to the Convention to remove barriers to applying measures for the recovery of assets, in particular by simplifying their legal procedures, where appropriate and in accordance with their domestic law, and by preventing the abuse of such procedures while safeguarding due process, and also encourages States parties to limit, where appropriate, domestic legal immunities, in accordance with their legal systems and constitutional principles, in accordance with article 30, paragraph 2, of the Convention;

Encourages States parties to the Convention to give full effect to the resolutions, including those on asset recovery, of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention;

Calls upon States parties to the Convention, in accordance with their domestic law, to take appropriate measures to identify, assess, mitigate and manage corruption risks in the public sector and to enhance the capacities of public institutions, including in their procurement processes, to prevent and address the infiltration of organized criminal groups by strengthening policies that promote good governance, the rule of law, transparency and accountability;

Encourages States parties to the Convention, in line with resolution 10/4 of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, to consider applying, where appropriate, the Vienna Principles towards a Global Framework for the Measurement of Corruption, aimed at guiding future initiatives in the development and implementation of corruption measurement frameworks and methodologies to achieve greater accuracy, reliability and usefulness, which may lead to more effective anti-corruption strategies and policies;

Reiterates its invitation to the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention to identify gaps and challenges in the implementation of the Convention by taking into account the results of the Implementation Review Mechanism, as well as any gaps and corruption challenges within the international anti-corruption framework, and to consider any recommendations by States parties to address the gaps and challenges identified in such a way as to improve the Convention and the implementation thereof as may be necessary, and in this regard and as a first step, invites the Conference, in the future, after the conclusion of and evaluation of the findings from the second review cycle, to organize a special session of the Conference on all aspects of the asset recovery and return process, with a view to considering all options available under the Convention, including exploring possible areas for improvement of the international asset recovery framework;

Urges States parties to the Convention to afford one another the widest possible cooperation and assistance in the identification, freezing, confiscation, recovery and return of stolen assets and proceeds of corruption, and to give particular and timely consideration to the execution of requests for international mutual legal assistance, in accordance with the Convention, and to afford one another the widest possible cooperation and assistance in the extradition of individuals accused of offences, in accordance with their obligations under the Convention, including article 44;

Also urges States parties to the Convention to ensure that procedures for international cooperation allow for the seizure and/or restraint of assets for a time period sufficient to preserve those assets in full, pending confiscation proceedings in another State, to ensure that there are adequate mechanisms in place to manage and preserve the value and condition of assets pending the conclusion of confiscation proceedings in another State, and to allow or expand cooperation in the enforcement of foreign seizure and freezing orders and confiscation judgments, including through measures to permit recognition of non-conviction-based seizure and freezing orders and confiscation judgments, where possible;

Requests Member States to take appropriate steps to prevent and counter the illicit trade and trafficking in cultural property and other items of archaeological, historical, cultural, rare scientific and religious importance originating from a context of armed conflict, notably from terrorist groups, including by prohibiting cross-border trade in such illicit items where States have a reasonable suspicion that the items originate from a context of armed conflict, notably from terrorist groups, and which lack clearly documented and certified provenance, thereby allowing for their eventual safe return;

Urges States parties to the Convention to take a proactive approach to international cooperation in asset recovery by making full use of the mechanisms provided for in chapter V of the Convention, including initiating requests for assistance, making spontaneous and prompt disclosures of information on proceeds of offences to other States parties and considering making requests for notifications, in accordance with article 52, paragraph 2 (b), of the Convention, and, where appropriate, implementing measures to permit the recognition of non-conviction-based forfeiture judgments;

Also urges States parties to the Convention to ensure that adequate, accurate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information on companies, legal entities and other legal arrangements is accessible to law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities, including, as appropriate, financial intelligence units and tax administrations, thus facilitating the investigation process and the execution of requests, and encourages States parties to the Convention to cooperate in order to implement the measures necessary to enable them to obtain reliable, adequate, accurate and timely information on beneficial ownership of companies, legal structures or other complex legal mechanisms, including trusts and holdings, used to commit crimes of corruption or to hide and transfer proceeds;

Urges Member States, where appropriate and consistent with their national legal systems, to provide each other with the widest possible assistance in investigations of and proceedings in civil and administrative matters relating to corruption offences, committed by natural or legal persons, including, if appropriate, through mutual legal assistance, for the detection of corruption offences, the identification, freezing and confiscation of assets, and the other purposes established in article 46, paragraph 3, of the Convention;

Calls upon Member States to take the necessary measures, in accordance with their domestic law, to permit another Member State to initiate civil action in their courts to establish title to or ownership of property acquired through the commission of corruption offences by natural or legal persons, as well as to permit their courts to recognize a civil claim of another Member State for payment of compensation or damages caused by corruption offences and for ownership of confiscated property acquired through the commission of such offences, in accordance with article 53 of the Convention;

Urges States parties to the Convention to prevent, investigate and prosecute corruption offences established in accordance with the Convention, including, among others, when they involve vast quantities of assets, to freeze, seize, confiscate and return proceeds of offences, in accordance with the Convention, and to consider measures criminalizing attempts to commit such offences, including when organized criminal groups are involved;

Calls upon States parties to the Convention to take measures to ensure that legal and natural persons are held accountable for corruption offences in accordance with its terms, including, among others, when they involve vast quantities of assets, and encourages States parties to the Convention to consider the legal aspects of asset recovery and to strengthen cooperation in criminal matters, in accordance with chapter IV of the Convention;

Encourages Member States to prevent and combat all forms of corruption by increasing transparency, integrity, accountability and efficiency in the public and private sectors, including in public procurement, and recognizes in this regard the need to prevent impunity by prosecuting corrupt officials and those who corrupt them and to cooperate in their extradition, in accordance with the obligations under the Convention;

Stresses the need for transparency in financial institutions, invites Member States to work on the identification and tracking of financial flows linked to corruption, the freezing or seizing of assets derived from corruption and the return of such assets, in accordance with the Convention, and encourages the promotion of human and institutional capacity-building in that regard;

Urges States parties to the Convention to give timely consideration to mutual legal assistance requests relating to the identification, freezing, tracing and/or recovery of proceeds of corruption and to respond effectively to requests for exchange of information related to proceeds of crime, property, equipment or other instruments referred to in article 31 of the Convention situated in the territory of the requested State party, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, including article 40;

Urges States, in accordance with the fundamental principles of their legal systems, to develop and implement or maintain effective, coordinated anti-corruption policies that promote the participation of society and reflect the principles of the rule of law, proper management of public affairs and public property, integrity, transparency and accountability, in accordance with article 5, paragraph 1, of the Convention, and in this respect encourages States and legal professionals and non-governmental organizations, where appropriate, to assist businesses, in particular small and medium-sized businesses, to develop codes of conduct and compliance programmes for preventing bribery and corruption and promoting integrity;

Invites States parties to the Convention to recognize the importance of the involvement of young people and children as key actors in strengthening ethical behaviour, beginning with the identification and adoption of values, principles and actions that make it possible to build a fair and corruption-free society, in accordance with the Convention;

Encourages States parties to the Convention, in accordance with their domestic legal systems, to establish confidential complaint systems and provide protection against any unjustified treatment of whistle-blowers, and urges States parties to provide effective protection to witnesses, consistent with articles 32 and 33 of the Convention;

Urges States parties to the Convention to effectively implement all resolutions and decisions of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, including resolutions 7/8 on corruption in sport, 8/4 on safeguarding sport from corruption, and 10/3 on the follow-up to the Marrakech declaration on the prevention of corruption, as well as General Assembly resolution 77/235 on preventing and combating corrupt practices, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, particularly to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption, inter alia, through taking robust legislative and law enforcement measures, supporting technical assistance and promoting capacity-building initiatives, as appropriate, and promoting cooperation between law enforcement agencies and relevant sport-related organizations and stakeholders, as well as resolution 7/5 on promoting preventive measures against corruption, and also urges States parties to the Convention to enhance prevention, detection, investigation, cooperation and the exchange of information and good practices to tackle the different manifestations of corruption in sport, including by considering policy recommendations identified in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Report on Corruption in Sport, where appropriate;

Encourages Member States to consider actively engaging in and contributing to the systematic collection of relevant information, such as trends, good practices, projects, programmes and initiatives to tackle the manifestation of sport-specific corruption, including the manipulation of sport competitions, and illegal betting, and corruption related to the transfer of athletes, the administration of sport organizations and the organization of sport events, and relevant offences related to the ownership of sports clubs and institutions, and interlinkages between corruption and organized crime in sport, in order to develop evidence-based strategies and activities to tackle them;

Welcomes the progress made by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and across the United Nation system as well as by other relevant international and regional organizations in measuring corruption risks, trends and prevalence, as well in assessing the effectiveness of policies and actual measures to combat corruption;

Welcomes the efforts of Member States that have enacted laws and taken other positive measures in the fight against corruption in all its forms, and in this regard encourages Member States that have not yet done so to enact such laws and to implement effective measures at the national level, in accordance with the Convention;

Notes the establishment by States of financial intelligence units, and encourages States that have not yet done so to consider establishing such units in accordance with article 58 of the Convention;

Reaffirms the need for Member States to take measures to prevent the transfer abroad and laundering of assets derived from corruption, including to prevent the financial institutions in both countries of origin and countries of destination from being used to transfer or receive illicit funds, as well as to assist in their recovery and to return such assets to the requesting State, in accordance with the Convention;

Calls upon Member States to continue to work with all stakeholders in international and domestic financial markets to deny safe haven to assets acquired illicitly by individuals as a result of acts of corruption, to deny entry and safe haven to corrupt officials and those who corrupt them and to enhance international collaboration in the investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, as well as in the recovery of proceeds of corruption;

Acknowledges that effective and timely communication and cooperation between competent authorities can be an important factor in curbing the cross-border movement of persons involved in the commission of corruption offences and of property, which includes funds, derived from the commission of corruption offences, and can also contribute to the efforts to prevent and counter illicit financial flows derived from corruption, and encourages States parties to strive to eliminate the exploitation of deficiencies in regulatory regimes and channels that may serve as incentives for the cross-border movement of these persons and such property, as well as investigate and prosecute corruption offences, when possible and consistent with domestic law and to endeavour to deny these persons and their family members, who knowingly benefit from such property, safe havens and visas, where appropriate and in accordance with domestic legal frameworks and international obligations, also with a view to strengthening international cooperation to facilitate the return of persons sought for corruption offences;

Urges all Member States to abide by the principles of proper management of public affairs and public property, fairness, responsibility and equality before the law and the need to safeguard integrity and to foster a culture of transparency, accountability and rejection of corruption, in accordance with the Convention;

Invites Member States to make every effort to prevent and counter corruption and to implement measures aimed at enhancing transparency in public administration and promoting the integrity and accountability of their criminal justice systems, in accordance with the Convention;

Calls for further international cooperation, inter alia, through the United Nations system, in support of national, subregional and regional efforts to prevent and combat corrupt practices and the transfer and laundering of proceeds of corruption, in accordance with the principles of the Convention, and in this regard encourages close and enhanced coordination, cooperation and synergies between anti-corruption agencies, law enforcement agencies and financial intelligence units;

Also calls for closer and active collaboration among interested States parties to the Convention, regional organizations and the United Nations system, including international financial institutions, in identifying commendable practices in effective and coordinated approaches to asset recovery consistent with chapter V of the Convention, and encourages in this regard sharing such practices on a voluntary basis with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for collection and dissemination, including through its reports to the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention;

Stresses the need for further cooperation and coordination among the different international, regional and subregional organizations and initiatives mandated to prevent and combat corruption;

Urges Member States to take appropriate measures, within their means and in accordance with fundamental principles of their national law, to promote the active participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, the private sector and academia, in the prevention of and fight against corruption and to raise public awareness, through, inter alia, media campaigns, regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threat posed by corruption, and calls upon Member States to ensure a safe and enabling environment for this participation by making efforts so that the conditions are present for non-government stakeholders to effectively contribute to achieving the objectives of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, in accordance with domestic law and the respective applicable international obligations;

Recalls article 63, paragraph 4 (c), of the Convention, in which it is stated, inter alia, that the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention shall agree upon activities, procedures and methods of work to achieve the objectives set forth in paragraph 1 of that article, including by cooperating with relevant international and regional organizations and mechanisms and non-governmental organizations, and in this regard invites the Conference of the States Parties to give further consideration to the implementation of the above-mentioned provision;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime with the resources necessary to enable it to promote, in an effective manner, the implementation of the Convention and to discharge its functions as the secretariat of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, and also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Mechanism for the Review of Implementation of the Convention is adequately funded, consistent with the resolution adopted by the Conference of the States Parties at its sixth session;³⁴

³⁴See CAC/COSP/2015/10.

Reiterates its call upon the private sector, at both the international and the national levels, including small and large companies and transnational corporations, to remain fully engaged in the fight against corruption, notes in this context the role that the United Nations Global Compact can play in fighting corruption and promoting transparency, emphasizes the need for all relevant stakeholders, including within the United Nations system, as appropriate, to continue to promote corporate responsibility and accountability, and in this regard recalls the adoption on 29 November 2013 of resolution 5/6 on the private sector,³⁵ the adoption on 6 November 2015 of resolution 6/5, the Saint Petersburg statement on promoting public-private partnership in the prevention of and fight against corruption,³⁶ and the adoption of resolution 10/12 on providing incentives for the private sector to adopt integrity measures to prevent and combat corruption by the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention;

³⁵See CAC/COSP/2013/18, sect. I.A.

³⁶See CAC/COSP/2015/10, sect. I.

Reaffirms resolution 10/12 of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, in which the Conference called upon States parties to develop effective frameworks, in accordance with the fundamental principles of their domestic law, to provide incentives for the private sector to adopt integrity measures, including codes of conduct, to prevent and combat corruption and promote transparency in its relations with national public officials, foreign public officials and officials of public international organizations, and encouraged States parties to ensure that comprehensive integrity systems do not create undue burdens on businesses and take into account their specific characteristics in different sectors, including their risk profiles, sizes, industries and financial capacities, so as to promote economic development;

Recalls article 12 of the Convention and calls upon States parties, where appropriate, to adopt or strengthen the anti-corruption measures, and to prevent corruption in the private sector and to provide effective, proportionate and dissuasive civil, administrative or criminal penalties for failure to comply with such measures, necessary for private sector compliance with applicable laws and regulations, organizing opportunities for the exchange of relevant experience and good practices, and to support and promote initiatives to ensure that private sector entities are well equipped to conduct business with integrity and transparency, particularly in their relations with the public sector and other stakeholders, and in fair competition, and to encourage the private sector to take collective action in this regard, including through the establishment of public-private partnerships in the prevention of and fight against corruption;

Encourages Member States to implement and raise awareness regarding effective anti-corruption education programmes;

Urges the international community to provide, inter alia, technical assistance to support national efforts to strengthen human and institutional capacity aimed at preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption and to facilitate asset recovery and the return and disposal of such proceeds in accordance with the Convention, and to support national efforts in formulating strategies for mainstreaming and promoting anti-corruption efforts, transparency and integrity in both the public and the private sectors;

Notes with appreciation the progress achieved by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime anti-corruption hubs since their creation and their continued work, as part of the implementation of Conference resolution 9/4, and urges States parties to afford one another, according to their capacities, the widest measure of technical assistance, notably at the regional level, and addressing, upon request, technical assistance priorities, including those identified in the country reviews;

Urges States parties and signatories to the Convention to strengthen the capacity of legislators, law enforcement officials, judges and prosecutors to combat corruption and to deal with matters relating to asset recovery, including in the areas of mutual legal assistance, confiscation, criminal confiscation and, where appropriate, non-conviction-based forfeiture, as well as civil and administrative proceedings, in accordance with national law and the Convention, and to give the highest consideration to providing technical assistance in those fields, upon request;

Encourages Member States to exchange and share with each other, including through regional and international organizations, as appropriate, information on lessons learned and good practices, as well as information related to technical assistance activities and initiatives in order to strengthen international efforts to prevent and combat corruption;

Encourages States parties to the Convention to, inter alia, take necessary measures, in accordance with the fundamental principles of domestic law, to mainstream a gender perspective into preventive anti-corruption policies and strategies, to raise awareness that demanding sex or acts of a sexual nature within the context of the abuse of authority may constitute a distinct form of corruption, and to address any legislative gaps, as necessary, to prevent and prosecute such corruption effectively, and encourages the meaningful participation and cooperation of women’s and community-based organizations in the development, planning, implementation and monitoring of anti-corruption programmes in accordance with resolution 10/10 of 15 December 2023 of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention;

Also encourages States parties to the Convention to provide regular updates and to expand, where appropriate, the information contained in the relevant databases of knowledge on asset recovery, such as Tools and Resources for Anti-Corruption Knowledge and Asset Recovery Watch, taking into consideration constraints on information-sharing based on confidentiality requirements;

Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in coordination with the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative, to continue to expand the global knowledge and data collection on asset recovery and return and continue gathering and sharing information on challenges and good practices, as well as on volumes of assets frozen, seized, confiscated and returned in relation to corruption offences, and the number and types of cases, as appropriate, while ensuring the protection of personal data and privacy rights, drawing upon existing efforts, within existing resources;³⁷

³⁷See CAC/COSP/2021/17, sect. I.A, resolution 9/2, para. 15.

Encourages the collection and systematization of good practices and tools for cooperation in asset recovery, including the use and expansion of secure information-sharing tools, consistent with domestic law, with a view to enhancing early, spontaneous and effective information exchange insofar as possible and in accordance with the Convention;

Also encourages the collection of substantial information duly researched and regularly published by recognized organizations and representatives of civil society;

Encourages States parties to the Convention to make widely available information on their legal frameworks and procedures with regard to asset recovery under chapter V of the Convention, in practical asset recovery, mutual legal assistance and beneficial ownership guides or other formats designed to facilitate use by other States, and to consider, where advisable, the publication of that information in other languages and its dissemination through databases and other digital platforms for that purpose;

Also encourages States parties to the Convention to share approaches and practical experience for the return of assets, consistent with article 57 of the Convention, for further dissemination through the Secretariat;

Encourages requesting States to ensure that adequate national investigative procedures have been initiated and substantiated for the purpose of presenting mutual legal assistance requests, and in this context encourages requested States to provide, when appropriate, information on legal frameworks and procedures to the requesting State;

Encourages States parties to the Convention to compile and make available information in accordance with article 52 of the Convention and to take other actions that help to establish the linkage between assets and offences under the Convention;

Notes with appreciation the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Bank and its cooperation with relevant partners, including the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities, the International Centre for Asset Recovery and other initiatives, such as that of INTERPOL, and encourages coordination among existing initiatives;

Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue to provide, in collaboration with the World Bank through the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative and in coordination with other relevant stakeholders, upon request, technical assistance for the implementation of chapter V of the Convention, including by providing direct expertise on policy or capacity-building through the Office’s Global Programme to prevent and combat corruption through the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in support of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals³⁸ and, where appropriate, regional programmes, using its range of technical assistance tools;

³⁸See resolution 70/1.

Encourages Member States to implement effective measures to detect, prevent and counter corruption, as well as the transfer abroad and laundering of assets derived from corruption, and to strengthen international cooperation and assistance to Member States to assist in the identification, freezing or seizure of such assets, as well as in their recovery and return, in accordance with the Convention, in particular chapter V thereof, and in this regard to continue to discuss innovative modalities to improve mutual legal assistance in order to speed up asset recovery proceedings and render them more successful, while also drawing on the experience and knowledge acquired by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative;

Invites States parties that have not yet done so to encourage their anti-corruption law enforcement authorities to consider joining, effectively participating in and making best use of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities and to make best use of opportunities for cooperation through other international organizations, networks and entities such as the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative and the asset recovery inter-agency networks;³⁹

³⁹See CAC/COSP/2021/17, sect. I.A, resolution 9/5, para. 3.

Encourages States parties to the Convention to consider, where appropriate, making use of the non-binding Lausanne Guidelines for the Efficient Recovery of Stolen Assets and the supporting step-by-step guide, available online, in their practice and to continue to exchange practical experiences, with a view to keeping the step-by-step guide up to date, as well as enhancing effective approaches to asset recovery based on lessons learned from past cases, being mindful that the Lausanne process can provide important platforms in this regard;

Welcomes the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, within its mandate, on education in the area of anti-corruption and the rule of law, including under the Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment (GRACE) initiative, and requests the Office to continue, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources and in close consultation with States parties to the Convention, its efforts to promote education on anti-corruption and the rule of law at all levels – early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, adult and distance education, including technical and vocational training;

Also welcomes the work of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, a centre of excellence for education, training and academic research, takes note with interest of its efforts to launch relevant programmes in the anti-corruption field, including the development of an objective database on existing legal frameworks to fight corruption, and looks forward to its continued efforts to promote the goals and implementation of the Convention;

Recognizes the efforts of the Group of 20 in countering corruption at both the global and the national levels, takes note with appreciation of the anti-corruption initiatives outlined in the communiqué of the Summit of the Group of 20, held in Rome on 30 and 31 October 2021, and urges the Group of 20 to continue to engage other States Members of the United Nations and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in its work in an inclusive and transparent manner to ensure that initiatives of the Group of 20 complement or strengthen the work being undertaken by the United Nations system;

Requests the Secretary-General, within existing reporting obligations, to include in his report to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session under the item on crime prevention and criminal justice an analytical section entitled “Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption”, and also requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Assembly the report of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on its eleventh session.

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