Regional Dialogue on Asset Recovery: The Academy Strengthens International Cooperation

A representative of the Law Enforcement Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as part of the national delegation, participated in the regional forum titled “Following the Money: Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery Strategies,” held on February 25–27 in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan.

The forum was organized by the Government of the United Kingdom and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and was aimed at strengthening cooperation among competent authorities in the region, assessing achieved results, and identifying promising areas for future collaboration.

The event brought together representatives of law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, prosecution and judicial authorities, as well as educational institutions from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

Within the framework of the forum, participants delivered presentations on conducting financial investigations, combating the legalization of proceeds from crime, and asset recovery policies, and shared experience in cross-border cooperation alongside national strategies and regulatory frameworks in this field.

A representative of the Law Enforcement Academy presented Uzbekistan’s experience in implementing the national strategy for developing the system to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as initiatives aimed at enhancing the professional capacity of specialists working in this area.

Forum experts also shared information on advanced international practices and existing challenges related to implementing the “follow the money” principle.

In addition, practical sessions were conducted, including a SWOT analysis of national system development concepts and simulation exercises on multi-stage financial investigations based on conditional scenarios.

Following the forum, recommendations were developed aimed at improving legislation and increasing the effectiveness of law enforcement practices.