On 19-20 November 2020, the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia organised an online training on “Seizure, confiscation and recovery of proceeds of corruption, money laundering and other economic crime”.

The activity, delivered by three international Council of Europe experts with a combination of academic and practitioners’ backgrounds, intended to familiarize Georgian law enforcement agencies and judges with international standards and best practices on tracing, seizure and confiscation mechanisms. Participants received detailed information on the asset recovery regime defined under the UNCAC (United Nations Convention Against Corruption) and analysed practical cases for its effective implementation. The Council of Europe experts also provided a comparative view of European asset management systems, emphasizing the importance of database for ensuring an efficient management and disposal of assets by the states.

The training involved 26 participants from the Prosecutor’s Office (including regions), Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance, State Security Service of Georgia and judges presented by the High School of Judges. Through breakout sessions in small groups, beneficiaries had the opportunity to discuss real cases and to exchange professional views on different possible solutions. Discussions between the representatives of a wide range of Georgian agencies and the Council of Europe experts helped identify the main barriers for creating an effective asset recovery system, and possible steps for its further improvement in Georgia.

This activity was organised within the EU/CoE Partnership for Good Governance Project “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia” (PGG II-Georgia), launched in January 2019.