Beitrag vom 08.06.2010

The World Bank

World Bank and Switzerland Call for Action Against Asset Theft and Corruption

PARIS, June 8, 2010 — The World Bank Group and the Government of Switzerland today called for concerted action against plundering of developing countries. Much of the money stolen from them finds safe haven in international financial centers. Failing to stem and reverse these criminal flows contributes to the impoverishment of the world's poorest countries.
Some US$20 - US$40 billion (about 16.2 billion - 32.4 Euros) is stolen from developing countries every year through bribery, misappropriation of funds and corrupt practices. The World Bank estimates that with US$20 billion, developing countries would be able to finance 48,000 km of two-lane paved roads, or first line treatment for 120 million people with HIV/AIDS for a full year, or some 50 million water connections for households.
"Billions of dollars are stolen every year from the developing countries, robbing them of economic opportunities,” said World Bank Group Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. "As world leaders convene at the G20 meetings and other fora in the coming weeks to discuss the economic crisis, stimulus plans and financial regulation, the fight against corruption and asset theft should be at the top of their agenda.”
For the Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy-Rey, "corruption is one of the central stumbling blocks for development. This is why Switzerland takes a leading role in recovering stolen assets. So far, we have given back US$1.6 billion to their country of origin,” emphasized the Swiss Federal Councillor.
Okonjo-Iweala and Calmy-Rey spoke at the launch of the conference No Safe Havens: A Global Forum for Stolen Asset Recovery and Development, taking place June 8 -9 in Paris. At the conference, corruption fighters from around the world are addressing the problem of safe havens for the proceeds of corruption, money laundering, lack of financial oversight, and the way forward to prevent further plundering of developing countries.
The first ever global forum to focus on asset theft and development is co-sponsored by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) --a partnership between the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)-- and the Government of Switzerland.

About the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR)
StAR is a partnership between the World Bank Group and the UNODC that supports international efforts to end safe havens for corrupt funds. StAR works with developing countries and financial centers to prevent the laundering of the proceeds of corruption and to facilitate a more systematic and timely return of stolen assets to their country of origin.
To learn more about stolen asset recovery, please visit: www.worldbank.org/star

Fact Sheet on Stolen Asset Recovery

• Somewhere between US$20 and US$40 billion every year is stolen from developing countries through bribery, misappropriation of funds, and other corrupt practices. This figure is equivalent 15 to 30 percent of official development assistance funds.

• Only about US$5 billion of stolen money has been returned over the last 16 years.

Development benefits of asset recovery
Every US$100 million of assets recovered could fund:
• First-line treatment for over 600,000 people with HIV/AIDS for a full year; or
• 50-100 million in drugs for the treatment of malaria; or
• Some 250,000 water connections for households.

Country experiences in recovering stolen assets:

• In an ongoing 21 year saga, the Philippines have so far recovered more than US$1 billion of money, mostly from Swiss Bank accounts, stolen by Ferdinand Marcos.

• By 2007, Peru had recovered over US$174 million, from jurisdictions such as Switzerland, Cayman Islands and the United States, stolen by Vladimiro Montesinos.

• To date, US$700 million of money stolen by Sani Abacha, has been frozen and forfeited by Swiss authorities has been returned to Nigeria.

• In 2006 and 2007, British and South African authorities helped Nigeria recover US$17.7 million of the illicit gains obtained by Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa state.