A/RES/58/205 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 11 February 2004 Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 92 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 23 December 2003 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/58/482)] 58/205. Preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit origin and returning such assets to the countries of origin The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 54/205 of 22 December 1999 and its resolutions 56/186 of 21 December 2001 and 57/244 of 20 December 2002, both on preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of funds of illicit origin and returning such funds to the countries of origin, Recalling also the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development, 1 which underlined that fighting corruption at all levels is a priority, and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (“Johannesburg Plan of Implementation”), 2 Deeply concerned about the seriousness of problems posed by continuing corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit origin and return of such funds and assets to the countries of origin, which may endanger the stability and security of societies, undermine the values of democracy and civil ethics and jeopardize sustainable and political development, in particular when an inadequate national and international response leads to impunity, Taking note of the global study on the transfer of funds of illicit origin, especially funds derived from acts of corruption, submitted to the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption, 3 which noted the substantial amounts of money involved, the economic hardships for countries that are victims of such corruption and the enormous obstacles to recovery faced by those countries, _______________ 1 Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 2 Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August-4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum), chap. I, resolution 2, annex. 3 A/AC.261/12. 03 50688