Practical work in the area of training and case consultancy will be based on and accompanied by basic and applied research and embedded in the ICAR’s work at the policy level. Maintaining this dialogue between academia and practice is crucial to ensure that reform and capacity building processes are in line with political and practical considerations, with evolving international standards and with current legal practice.

ICAR’s research activities benefit from collaboration and staff exchange with the University of Basel, in particular its law faculty’s departments for criminal law and for international public law and constitutional law, as well as with the Institute of Anthropology and the Centre for African Studies. The ICAR continues to build a solid foundation of research-based evidence and knowledge relevant to the practice and policy development in the area of asset recovery, e.g. by conducting comparative analysis and reviews of legal asset recovery practices or of underlying governance issues relevant to asset repatriation or the particular challenges of asset recovery in the context of failed states. A forthcoming edited publication of the ICAR on key challenges in asset recovery will also contribute to strengthening the understanding of asset recovery processes and of corresponding assistance and reform needs.

At the international level, the ICAR will continue to share its experience with other key stakeholder groups and seek to promote and contribute to policy development and global reform processes. The Basel Institute on Governance for this purpose has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and has consequently become a member of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network. A similar Memorandum of Understanding with the Interpol Anti-Corruption Training Academy is presently under preparation. The Institute is further an active member of the open-ended UNCAC Working Groups on Asset Recovery, UNCAC implementation and Technical Assistance, is a partner to the Swiss Government in the Lausanne process, in particular with regard the conceptualization and organisation of the upcoming fourth meeting of the Lausanne Group, and regularly convenes expert and donors meetings in Basel to contribute towards processes of harmonisation and coordination of asset recovery processes internationally.