Asset Recovery and Mutual Legal Assistance in Asia and the Pacific, 2007

While it grows easier for corrupt agents to move - and to move the proceeds of their crimes - across borders, law enforcement continues to operate within national boundaries. Mutual legal assistance is often required to bring the offenders to justice and to recover assets.

Existing mechanisms for mutual legal assistance are, however, largely inadequate.

The ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific convened 170 policy makers, experts and practitioners to strengthen regional cooperation. Participants exchanged experiences and strategies on implementing international standards for asset recovery and encouraging mutual legal assistance. The presentations, analyses, and discussions among experts at the regional seminar in September 2007 are compiled in this publication. It is addressed to policy makers, practitioners, and experts who wish to learn from the experiences of other countries in strengthening frameworks and practices for mutual legal assistance and the recovery of assets.