Promotion of international cooperation to combat illicit
financial flows and strengthen good practices on
assets return to foster sustainable development
A/RES/74/206
Recognizing further that the challenge posed by the increasing scope and
complexity of illicit financial flows and the need for the recovery and return of stolen
assets requires strengthened international cooperation,
Recognizing that numerous technical, legal and practical challenges are to be
addressed in order to facilitate the repatriation of proceeds of crime to countries from
where they were originally stolen,
Recognizing also that global knowledge of the importance of combating illicit
financial flows and enhancing the return of assets is rapidly increasing, as is the
political will to recover illicitly acquired assets by both requesting and requested
States, and noting that, while many challenges remain unresolved, tackling them
effectively requires a holistic approach that recognizes the different types of illicit
financial flows and their impact on sustainable development,
Reaffirming the importance of chapter V of the United Nations Convention
against Corruption, and underlining that the recovery and return of stolen assets
pursuant to that chapter is a fundamental principle of the Convention,
Recognizing the work carried out by the Conference of the States Parties to the
United Nations Convention against Corruption, and in particular it s Open-ended
Intergovernmental Working Group on Asset Recovery, to advance the full
implementation of chapter V of the Convention,
Noting the efforts to promote the exchange of information and synergies
between the open-ended intergovernmental expert meetings to enhance international
cooperation under the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the Working
Group on International Cooperation established by the Conference of the Parties to
the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,
Recalling the work of the Platform for Collaboration on Tax, which is to
intensify collaboration and coordination on tax issues between the United Nations,
the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development, including on formalizing regular
discussions among the four international organizations on the implementation of
standards for international tax matters and on the strengthening of their ability to
provide capacity-building support to developing countries,
Recognizing the important work undertaken by academia and civil society,
including the International Centre for Asset Recovery and the U4 Anti -Corruption
Resource Centre, in assisting Member States in understanding the challenges
associated with the return of stolen assets under chapter V of the United Nations
Convention against Corruption,
Noting the work of the 135-member Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and
Profit Shifting, which provides a forum for collaboration for tackling tax avoidance,
improving the coherence of international tax rules and ensuring a more transparent
and fair tax environment,
Noting also international developments on the implementation of the Standard
for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters under a
common reporting standard developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development, and now involving 102 countries, as well as the role of the 158
members of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exc hange of Information for Tax
Purposes, which enables cooperation on an equal footing,
Reiterating the pledge that no one will be left behind, reaffirming the
recognition that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, and the wish to see
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