Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey attends international conference on the restitution of illegal assets in Paris
Bern, 04.06.2010 - The Global Forum on the Recovery of Assets and Development jointly organised by Switzerland, the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will take place in Paris on 8 and 9 June. Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), will represent Switzerland at this event.
Under the heading "No refuge for illicit assets: a forum on the recovery of assets and development", Switzerland, the World Bank and the UNODC are organising a conference in Paris on 8 and 9 June 2010.
The agenda will include issues such as zones of impunity for the products of corruption, money laundering and inadequate financial mechanisms. There will also be discussion of measures to stop the flow of illicit assets from developing countries.
Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey will attend the conference.
In the past fifteen years Switzerland has returned CHF 1.7 billion that was misappropriated by politically exposed persons such as Sani Abacha, Ferdinand Marcos and Vladimiro Montesinos to the countries of origin. This was possible thanks to its legal system that allows for international legal assistance in such cases and thanks also to Switzerland's political determination to prevent the Swiss financial centre from becoming a refuge for the assets of corrupt politicians. Switzerland has a world-leading role in this area.
Address for enquiries
Information FDFA
Bundeshaus West
CH-3003 Bern
Tel.: (+41) 031 322 31 53
Fax: (+41) 031 324 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
