On 27-30 May 2024, representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Offices of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan met with their peers from Belgium and Switzerland to enhance the recovery and management of illicit assets processes in their respective countries.

Participants had the opportunity to interact with Belgian investigating judges and prosecutors specialising in economic crime and cybercrime. Representatives from the Belgian Central Office for Seizure and Confiscation (COSC) and Finshop Brussels, a centre responsible for the realisation of movable assets received by public services such as the COSC, gave them an overview of the asset recovery and asset management system in Belgium.

Participants met also different competent authorities involved in the asset recovery and management processes, including the Federal Office of Justice, the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Bern.

In addition to gaining an in-depth understanding of the systems, legal frameworks and practices of the two jurisdictions, participants were able to establish direct contact with their peers in Belgium and Switzerland. The discussion also touched on the benefits of acceding to the Council of Europe Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (ETS No. 30) and its additional protocols.

Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbek authorities exchange experience on asset recovery and management with peers from Belgium and Switzerland - Economic Crime and Cooperation Division (coe.int)

This activity was organised by the Action on “Promoting Transparency and Action against Economic Crime” in the framework of the Central Asia Rule of Law Programme 2020-2024, a joint initiative co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.