12. November 2015

ICAR supports ICC for a workshop on international cooperation and financial investigations

ICC meeting

On 26 and 27 October 2015, the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) supported the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a workshop, held at the seat of the Court in The Hague, on international cooperation and financial investigations. The workshop was supported by the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations and the European Commission and attended by experts from 13 countries and 6 international organisations. The aim of the workshop was to discuss operational measures and find solutions for cooperation challenges when working with the ICC to conduct financial investigations.

After introductory remarks by ICC Registrar Herman von Hebel, ICC Deputy Prosecutor James Stewart, Senior Adviser of the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations Jörn Oliver Eiermann, and Director of the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR)/Basel Institute Gretta Fenner, ICC staff from the Office of the Prosecutor and Registry presented the Court's mandate, legal framework and procedure in tracing, seizing, freezing and forfeiting assets of an ICC suspect or accused. Participants then explored avenues for cooperation in these actions, whether through States Parties, intergovernmental organisations, financial intelligence units or other actors.

On 27 October, participants discussed three specific scenarios developed by ICAR, in which the ICC would request cooperation at different stages of ICC proceedings. The scenarios involved different levels of information required depending on whether the request was in regard to tracing, seizing, freezing or forfeiting the assets. This exercise helped to clarify and pinpoint solutions to practical challenges faced when cooperating. The workshop concluded by identifying two main action points:

  1. For the ICC to continue explaining to States Parties the specificities of its mandate in relation to financial investigations
  2. For the ICC and States Parties to develop regular bilateral contacts with the aim of finding ways to improve cooperation in the field of financial investigations.