Anti-corruption
Countdown: ANEEJ takes MANTRA to OGP Global Summit, Ottawa, Canada on May 31.

Countdown: ANEEJ takes MANTRA to OGP Global Summit, Ottawa, Canada on May 31.

Session Title: Asset Recovery in OGP: Peer-Learning on Recovery, Return, and Monitoring- Lessons from the Field

Session Organizers: Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and MacArthur Foundation

Session Format: Fishbowl

MODERATOR: Patricia Adams, Executive Director, Probe International, Canada

SPEAKERS

  1. Fatima Kanji, Research and Policy Manager, International State Crime Initiative (ISCI), UK
  2. David Ugolor, Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Nigeria
  3. Apera Iorwa, National Coordinator, NASSCO/World Bank
  4. Sonia Warner, Senior Adviser, DFID-UK
  5. Prof. Sadiq Isa Radda, Executive Secretary, Presidential Committee Anti-Corruption (PACAC)
  6. Sarath Jayammane, Director General of CIABOC, Sri Lanka

Date: 31 May, 2019

Time: 13:40 – 15:00

Venue: Room 205, Shaw Centre, Ottawa, Canada

OBJECTIVE AND DESIRED OUTCOME

This session aims to identify good practices and challenges in assets return and promote peer-learning in assets recovery and monitoring. Assets Recovery is yielding profits in Nigeria including investments for the government’s social intervention programs for Nigeria’s poorest citizens. Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Ukraine have equally stepped up efforts at recovering stolen assets but have increasingly faced questions about utilization and management. What are the factors responsible for the different outcomes in assets recovery, utilization, and monitoring in these countries? What are the major lessons for countries having assets recovery in their OGP processes? What can national, regional and international networks do to remove bottlenecks facing assets recovery by victim countries local politics that undermine credible utilization and recovery? How can the Global Forum on Asset recovery (GFAR) Principles and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Treaty be used along with the Open Government Partnership(OGP) Principles to strengthen cooperation and build trust in both requesting and requested Countries? These are the questions that would engage this session.

Both OGP and GFAR Principles provide opportunities for stakeholders- government, civil society and the private sector- to explore innovative solutions to the challenges facing asset recovery globally.

At the end of this session, participants will build a coalition that will seek the removal of obstacles that impede assets recovery and canvass mechanisms for collaborative, inclusive and transparent utilisation in victim countries.

Format and Interactiveness

The proposed session is a fishbowl with three or more lead discussants in which a moderator facilitates and engages different audience members to join the discussion. We propose a session with a mix of civil society, governments (Nigeria and Swiss Government) and multilateral initiatives (The Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) of UNODC and WBG). The civil society and government representatives will share their experiences in the return, management and monitoring of the utilisation of recovered assets. Contributions from the participants in the session will also enrich the exchange of key lessons on asset recovery.

 Some other questions the session will respond to are:

  • What are the main challenges for return of assets from a requested and requesting Countries perspective?
  • How can we use the OGP and GFAR Principles to strengthen assets recovery and build a framework for peer-learning in OGP National Action Plans?
  • What are the lessons on assets recovery commitments in OGP National Action Plan implementation?
  • What are the lessons from Civil Society monitoring of recovered assets in both requesting and requested Countries?
  • How can the donors and development agencies strengthen their support for OGP and GFAR Principles implementation in victim Countries?
  • What are the key lessons from the use of recovered assets and civil society-government partnership?

SESSION FACILITATORS:

  1. Dayo Olaide, MacArthur Foundation, Nigeria
  2. Blessing Ogu

Link to MANTRA resources: https://www.aneej.org/mantra-model-documentary-on-field-monitoring-exercise-and-use-of-mantra-website/,

https://www.aneej.org/monitoring-report-of-the-utilization-of-the-recovered-abacha-funds-in-the-august-september-2018-payment/.

https://aneej.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/London-Anti-Corruption-copy-1-1.pdf

https://aneej.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ANEEJ-Assessment-of-Behavioral-Change-v4.pdf

https://aneej.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Role-of-Citizens-in-the-implementation-of-CCT-ANEEJ.pdf

Further Contact: Leo Atakpu, Deputy Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ): Phone: 234 80 3971 8335: Email Address: leoatakpu@aneej.org and info@aneej.org

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