A/RES/73/190 Preventing and combating corrupt practices and the transfer of proceeds of corruption, facilitating asset recovery and returning such assets to legitimate owners, in particular to countries of origin, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption Concerned that some persons accused of crimes of corruption have managed to escape justice and thus have eluded the legal consequences of their actions and have been successful in hiding their assets, Taking into account the need to hold corrupt officials accountable by depriving them of the illicit profits and proceeds of their crimes, Acknowledging the vital importance of ensuring the independence and effectiveness of authorities charged with investigating and prosecuting crimes of corruption and of recovering the proceeds of such crimes by several means, such as establishing the necessary legal framework and allocating the necessary resources, Acknowledging also the fundamental principles of due process of law in criminal proceedings and in civil or administrative proceedings to adjudicate property rights, Reiterating its concern about the seriousness of problems and threats posed by corruption to the stability and security of societies, undermining the institutions and the values of democracy, ethical values and justice and jeopardizing sustainable development and the rule of law, in particular when an inadequate national and international response leads to impunity, Concerned about the negative impact of widespread corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, recognizing that corruption constitutes one of the obstacles to the effective promotion and protection of human rights, as well as to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and recognizing also that corruption may disproportionately affect the most disadvantaged individuals of society, Stressing that preventive measures, as outlined in chapter II of the Convention, are one of the most effective means of countering corruption and avoiding its negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights, and underlining that prevention measures should be strengthened at all levels, Noting with appreciation the ongoing efforts by regional organizations and forums to strengthen cooperation in combating corruption, which aim, inter alia, to ensure openness and transparency, combat domestic and foreign bribery, tackle corruption in high-risk sectors, strengthen international cooperation and promote public integrity and transparency in the fight against corruption, which fuels illicit trade and insecurity and is a tremendous barrier to economic growth and the safety of citizens, Noting with appreciation also the efforts made by those States that have established national coordination mechanisms between, inter alia, the different levels of their Governments and other actors, such as civil society organizations, the private sector and academia, to prevent and combat corruption, Noting with appreciation further the efforts of regional organizations and forums to combat corruption, including, inter alia, the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation Course of Action on Fighting Corruption and Ensuring Transparency and the Santiago Commitment to Fight Corruption and Ensure Transparency, and the Group of 20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan, the Group of 20 Anti-Corruption Open Data Principles, the Saint Petersburg Development Strategy, the non -binding Guiding Principles on Enforcement of the Foreign Bribery Offence, the Guiding Principles to Combat Solicitation, the Asset Recovery Principles, the asset recovery country profiles and the Asset Recovery Guides, Noting with appreciation the work of other initiatives in the field of asset recovery, such as the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery, and welcoming their efforts to enhance cooperation between requesting and requested States, 6/15 18-22286