The Basel Institute on Governance is an independent and non-profit think tank conducting research and offering policy advice and capacity building support in public, global and corporate governance/compliance. Through the International Centre for Asset Recovery, we further provide training and advisory services in the field of asset recovery. The Institute combines scientific methodology with practical experience and seeks to engage partners from all concerned stakeholder groups. Based in Switzerland and associated with the University of Basel, we bring together internationally recognised academics as well as practitioners with long-standing experience in the matters at stake.

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Basel Institute on Governance signs Memorandum with UNICRI

The Basel Institute on Governance and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2008. The MoU defines terms of collaboration in the design and delivery of training courses on investigation, asset tracing and asset recovery; in the promotion of international legal cooperation and public-private partnerships to combat corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism; and in the provision of assistance in implementing international conventions on AML and corruption. Collaboration has already started in 2007 on programs in Latin America.

Available now: Papers and presentations from the conference on "Philanthropy in Global Health - Governance and Effectiveness Criteria"

Download papers, powerpoints and abstracts that were presented at the conference on Philanthropy in Global Health, organised by the Basel Institute on Governance in Basel, Switzerland, on 10 and 1 April 2008. Further background information such as the programme, speaker CVs and workshop reports are also available for download.

schengentagungen basel 08 (April - Juni 2008)

Schengen in der Praxis, gemeinsam durchgefuehrt mit der juristischen Fakultaet der Universitaet Basel, dem Bundesamt fuer Justiz und dem Bundesamt fuer Polizei. Konferenzsprache: Deutsch.

18 April: Schengen und Polizei, 30 May 2008: Schengen und Datenschutz, 6 June 2008: Schengen und Amts- und Rechtshilfe.

Online knowledge centre on asset recovery launched! Visit www.assetrecovery.org

The International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) at the Basel Institute on Governance has recently launched the first knowledge centre for asset recovery which offers free access to asset recovery information to aid practitioners and others interested in the laws and treaties, mechanisms and techniques for recovering stolen assets that have been stashed in other countries. It is intended primarily to aid developing countries in their fight against corruption and build the capacity to carry out successful asset recovery. Experts around the world will contribute to the knowledge center by way of country profiles, case studies and other practical tips and techniques to advance investigations to trace and freeze stolen assets and to seek international mutual legal and administrative assistance. In future releases, ICAR plans to include e-learning capabilities,

enhance the depth of the knowledge base and include several more country profiles.

Bangladesh UNCAC Compliance and Gap Analysis launched in January 2008

The UNCAC Compliance and Gap Analysis developed by the Government of Bangladesh in cooperation with the Institute for Governance Studies of BRAC University Bangladesh, with assistance of the Basel Institute on Governance and with funding from the GTZ UNCAC Project, has been launched at the second Conference of States Parties to the UNCAC in January 2008. The report analyses compliance of the legal and institutional anti-corruption framework of Bangladesh with the provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption and makes concrete recommendations for reform measures to remedy compliance gaps that the report identifies.

Press release (20 January 2008): TI honours Mark Pieth as leading anti-bribery expert

Prof Mark Pieth, President and Founder of the Basel Institute on Governance, has been awarded the 2007 Integrity Award by the leading international NGO anti-corruption coalition Transparency International. He receives the award, which will be presented to him in a ceremony to be held on 21 January 2008 in Berlin, jointly with Le Hien Duc, a Vietnamese grassroots anti-corruption activist.

New book on Recovering Stolen Assets

Development efforts will remain frustrated so long as corrupt leaders continue to steal their countries' wealth and dispose of these ill-gotten gains in foreign jurisdictions. The prevention of such looting, and the recovery of the stolen assets are thus critical development issues and a cornerstone of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (2003) (UNCAC). However, to date experience with asset recovery is limited, and a number of legal and other obstacles continue to impede progress. This is the first comprehensive work on asset recovery, written by renowned practitioners and academics representing different legal systems and countries, all of whom have extensive experience in the asset recovery field.

New Working Paper on Governance of Pension Funds (German)

The Basel Institute just issued a new paper in its working paper series, this time on the governance of pension funds (Verhaltensregeln für die Verwaltung von Vorsorgeeinrichtungen, only available in German). Download the paper and, for further information, please contact any of the paper's authors.