Blog Post
Attorney General Holder at the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery
This week, Attorney General Eric Holder joined international counterparts in Doha to launch the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery and participate in its inaugural meeting. The following statement was released from the Attorney General and other Forum Co-Chairs.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to the Asset Recovery Action Plan developed under the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition. From the inception of the Partnership, asset recovery was recognized as an important goal to support democratic transition and economic development, and pursuit of the proceeds of corruption stowed abroad has since become a significant area for cooperation among the Deauville Partnership countries and other stakeholders.
We agreed that, in the wake of the Arab Spring, asset recovery has become a more urgent area of focus in the region and in the international community, building on the framework of the UN Convention against Corruption. Robust cooperation, including case assistance, capacity building and technical assistance, are necessary to advance asset recovery efforts.
In this context, the participants noted the value of the Arab Forum in providing a platform for:
- policy dialogue to raise awareness of and introduce the measures to facilitate effective asset recovery;
- regional training, and identification of needs for country-specific capacity building;
- developing a repository of information about asset recovery procedures, and good practices including mutual legal assistance and similar requirements of partner countries, translated in Arabic; and,
- developing a regional network of expertise.
Updated April 7, 2017
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