We Want Our Money Back: Stolen Asset Recovery and Resources for the Post 2015 Development Agenda
Organised by
- Open Society Foundations (OSF)
- Transparency, Accountability & Participation (TAP) Network
Summary
Government investigations, civil society inquiries, legal cases and popular movements expose massive theft, misappropriation and money laundering by the very people and institutions in positions of greatest trust. Every few months, it seems, we learn of another stash of stolen money, hidden by current and former political leaders, private sector partners and the banks and other financial and legal professionals who assist them – billions of dollars of public funds siphoned out of government treasuries into private accounts of the powerful elite.
When we are fortunate, our legal systems are able to identify and seize these stolen assets. But stolen asset recovery is just the beginning of the story in making people whole again and serving basic development needs.
The return, or repatriation, of these assets reveals a host of questions government, private sector and civil society leaders must contend with to ensure legitimacy, transparency and accountability for the money in serving its intended role. By examining a broad range of solutions for sustainable asset repatriation, we have an opportunity to develop cooperative models of governance and development.
At this side event, we will hear from civil society grappling with these questions in different contexts.
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