Training: Standards and Practice in Asset Recovery
2022-02-07 10:00 - 13:00 UTC
Under the framework of the Regional Project: Combating Corruption in the Western Balkans: Strengthening regional cooperation in the field of asset recovery, AIRE Centre and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative organised the training on Standards and Practice in Asset Recovery, with the support of the United Kingdom Government.
Training gathered more than 100 judges, prosecutors, judicial associates and judicial academies’ trainees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia in an online format on February 7, 2022. The objective of the training was to provide participants with essential knowledge on the importance of asset recovery, an overview of relevant jurisprudence, principles of identification and permanent seizure of proceeds of crime, as well as international and domestic standards for the extended asset confiscation.
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Training “Effective Asset Recovery: Judicial Perspective”, Tirana, Albania
2022-03-15 08:00 - 16:00 | Tirana, Albania
On March 15, 2022, AIRE Centre and the RAI Secretariat organised the training on “Effective Asset Recovery: Judicial Perspective”. The training brought together twenty judges and prosecutors from Albania, offering them an engaging learning format with the leading regional and UK experts, as trainers.
Ledina Mandija, Lawyer and Lecturer at Tirana University Law Faculty and Epoka University, opened the training by emphasizing the necessity of regional approach and highlighting the importance of the regional network of asset recovery professionals for enabling the comparative analysis, providing experts with relevant resources and ensuring adequate cooperation in the region.
Director of the Magistrate School of the Republic of Albania Arben Rakipi in his opening speech shared information on the implementation of Anti-Mafia Law, Law on Money Laundering and case law examples from Albania.
Professor of the University of Sarajevo, Faculty for Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies, Eldan Mujanovic spoke about the international standards and extended confiscation in the regional practice including the good practice examples.
HH Judge Michael Hopmeier from the Southwark Crown Court in London, United Kingdom spoke of the practical challenges and issues that arise in court proceedings related to the money laundering charges.
Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska, Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia shared important points on human rights standards and asset recovery measures from ECtHR case-law perspective. She also outlined the importance of the role of the knowledgeable judges and the professional example they set for their colleagues.
This training is organised under the framework of the three-year regional project “Combating corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans through strengthening regional cooperation in asset recovery” which started in September 2021. The project, funded by the UK Government, is covering the following jurisdictions: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The participation of Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova and Romania is ensured through RAI.

* This designation is without prejudice to the positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

The Annual Alumni Conference of the Southeast Europe Regional Asset Recovery Alumni Network
2022-03-16 08:00 - 16:00 | Tirana, Albania
Today, Tirana was the central point for regional experts’ cooperation in the asset recovery activities, with the Alumni Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Conference gathering over 70 professionals from the Southeast Europe region, as well as the UK experts. The Conference is a part of the project “Combating corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans through strengthening regional cooperation in asset recovery” implemented by the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE Centre) in cooperation with the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat, funded by the UK Government.
“Today, we gathered judges, prosecutors and experts from the Western Balkans, as well as their colleagues from other jurisdictions, to discuss regional cooperation in confiscation of the proceeds of crime and tools for its effective implementation. Confiscating the proceeds of crime helps eliminate the greatest incentive for criminal conduct: profit. Facilitating asset recovery in the region is crucial for the long-term, global fight against corruption and organized crime. Further, asset recovery strengthens public trust in institutions and is an essential aspect of efforts to uphold the rule of law in the region”, shared Biljana Braithwaite, Program Director of the AIRE Center for the Western Balkans.
The United Kingdom reaffirmed its strong support for asset recovery activities, with a strong emphasis on regional cooperation. “Asset recovery is a crucial tool in the fight against organised crime and corruption, enabling better security and economic prosperity for citizens. Through the UK-funded regional project delivered by the AIRE Centre, in partnership with the RAI Secretariat, the UK supports strengthened regional and international cooperation to share best practice, track money laundering and recover stolen assets”, added Jason Ivory, Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Tirana.
Desislava Gotskova, Head of the RAI Secretariat, underlined the importance of confiscation and asset recovery in the fight against organized crime. “The importance of regional cooperation is essential for the effective fight against corruption. Responding to its member states’ priorities, RAI has been active in the field of asset recovery for a number of years, supporting its members’ endeavors to strengthen their capacities for effective confiscation of proceeds of crime. This conference is a vivid example of fostering regional cooperation among the asset recovery practitioners from Southeast Europe together, as the best way forward”, concluded Gotskova.

Budva: Practical Training “Asset Recovery in Legislation and Practice”
2022-03-18 08:00 - 2022-03-19 16:00 | Budva, Budva, Montenegro
The Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE Centre) and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat organised the Multidisciplinary Training on Confiscation of Assets acquired from Criminal Activity in Budva, Montenegro om March 18 and 19, 2022.
The Training brought together judges and prosecutors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, who engaged in a practical learning format with the leading regional asset recovery experts.
Judge of the Supreme Cassation Court of the Republic of Serbia, Radmila Dragicevic Dicic contextualized legal provisions for confiscation of proceeds of crime in cases from Serbian and regional judicial practice. Professor Eldan Mujanovic from the University of Sarajevo Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology, and Security Studies introduced participants to the international standards for extended confiscation of assets. Milos Soskic, Prosecutor of the Special Prosecutors’ Office of Montenegro focused on identification and confiscation of proceeds of crime from the perspective of financial investigation and cooperation.
During the training, judges and prosecutors have analysed the practical case and have presented their approach on the investigation and the proceeding, in respect to their national legislation. Cases were analysed and presented both from judicial and prosecutorial perspective.

This Training is organised under the framework of the three-year regional project “Combating corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans through strengthening regional cooperation in asset recovery” which started in September 2021. The project, funded by the UK Government, is covering the following jurisdictions: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The participation of Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova and Romania is ensured through RAI.

* This designation is without prejudice to the positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

Sofia: 37th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2022-04-07 - 2022-04-08 | Sofia, Bulgaria
37th Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Steering Group (SG) Meeting took place on April 7-8, 2022 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Interior and organized by the RAI Secretariat. The meeting was opened by Ms. Tanya Raycheva, Deputy Minister of Interior of Bulgaria and Ms. Laura Stefan, RAI Chairperson.
Ms. Raycheva highlighted that the communication, dialogue and cooperation in the region are key to launching beneficial initiatives at bilateral and multilateral level and to coordinate common anti-corruption activities in Southeastern Europe. She particularly pointed out the role of RAI as a generator of innovative ideas, raising the introduction and use of new tools to prevent and fight corruption such as the Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations.
RAI Steering Group is the decision-making body of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative, composed of representatives of its member countries. The objective of the 37th RAI Steering Group Meeting was to plan the upcoming activities and deliberate on the next RAI planning cycle. A particular focus was given to the activities and events to be held in 2022, especially the endeavors related to the International Treaty for Exchange of Data for Verification of Asset Declaration.
At the session dedicated to partnerships, it was talked about the efforts for strengthening cooperation with RAI’s long-standing partners, as well as about expanding cooperation and forging new partnerships. During the session, the SG had an opportunity to exchange views with the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) on behalf of SELDI Network, Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Civil Society Unit.
Related documents:
Agenda
Summary and Conclusions

Tirana: Training for Higher Education and Public Enterprises Sector on CRA and CPL
2022-05-12 09:00 - 2022-05-13 17:00 | Hotel Plaza, Rruga Abdi Toptani 18, Tirana, Albania
Agenda May 12 and 13_Tirana

Online seminar on the ECtHR jurisprudence in the matters of confiscation of property acquired by criminal activity
2022-06-09 14:30 - 16:30
Online Seminar on the ECtHR jurisprudence in the matters of confiscation of property acquired by criminal activity will be held on June 9, 2022, from 14.30-16.30. The seminar is intended for judges, prosecutors, and trainees of the Judicial Academies and Judicial Training Institutes in the Western Balkans jurisdictions.
The seminar will be delivered by Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska, Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia, former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, and by Radmila Dragicevic Dicic, Judge of Supreme Court of Cassation of the Republic of Serbia.
Simultaneous interpretation in Albanian, Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian, Macedonian and English will be provided at the online seminar.
The seminar is organised under the regional project “Combating corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans through strengthening regional cooperation in asset recovery”, implemented by the AIRE Centre in partnership with the RAI Secretariat, and funded by the UK Government.

Meeting on achieving accurate, comprehensive and standard recording of asset recovery statistics
2022-06-13 - 2022-06-14 | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre in partnership with the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat have organized the Meeting on achieving accurate, comprehensive and standard recording of asset recovery statistics in cooperation with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 13 and 14 June 2022.
The regional Meeting on achieving accurate, comprehensive and standard recording of asset recovery statistics was held in Sarajevo today. The meeting brought together directors of asset management agencies, judges and prosecutors from Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a focus on presenting good practices in accessing adequate data monitoring and recording information on this issue.
The Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative and the AIRE Centre Western Balkans Program, as part of a regional cooperation project aiming to achieve more efficient confiscation and management of criminal assets, supported by the UK Government, brought together experts in more efficient recording and statistics of confiscated assets. “Recognizing what we can do together in the region, how to connect practitioners from the North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, and what the Bosnia and Herzegovina as a host country can present and offer as examples of good practice”, said Nevena Kostic, AIRE Centre’s project manager.
Representatives of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH presented the legislative model governing the generation, collection and distribution of statistics on confiscation of illegally acquired property in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and IT solutions in the judiciary that facilitate the collection and distribution of statistics.
Read more here.

The 3rd Asset Recovery Technical Assistance Providers Coordination Meeting
2022-06-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Belgrade, Serbia
“Without confiscation of property, there is no fight against crime” was a clear message of the 3rd Asset Recovery Technical Assistance Providers Coordination Meeting held in Belgrade today, which gathered representatives of EUROPOL, OSCE, EU Delegations in the region, UNODC, UNDP as well as technical assistance providers involved in the asset recovery reform in the region.
The meeting is a part of the regional coordination initiative undertaken under the framework of the Regional Project: Combating Corruption in the Western Balkans: Strengthening regional cooperation in the field of asset recovery implemented by the AIRE Centre and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, with the support of the United Kingdom Government.
The meeting had several objectives, including fostering coordination between the existing and the new asset recovery projects in the region with the view of avoiding duplication of efforts, as well as determining potential areas for collaboration amongst the existing and future endeavors.
Participants shared information about their current and future projects in the Western Balkans, jointly identified gaps in assistance through discussion, and shared lessons learned aiming to pinpoint the most common obstacles for the effective provision of technical assistance as well as ideas how to mitigate them.
Read more about Asset Recovery Technical Assistance Providers Coordination meetings:
Regional Donor Coordination Meeting organised by AIRE Centre and RAI Secretariat
2nd Regional Coordination Meeting of Asset Recovery Technical Assistance Providers in the Western Balkans
The 3rd Asset Recovery Technical Assistance Providers Coordination Meeting held in Belgrade

Regional Workshop on Implementing the UNCAC in SEE: Private Sector Integrity
2023-10-10 - 2023-10-11 | Dubrovnik, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
DUBROVNIK, October 10-11, 2023 – Southeast Europe-Together against Corruption (SEE-TAC) Programme team implemented Workshop on Implementing the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in SEE: Private Sector Integrity. The event was organized by the UNODC Civil Society Unit, in collaboration with the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat.
This gathering brought together representatives from various entities including small businesses, Chambers of Commerce, business unions, and others from across the region. Over the course of two days, participants engaged in fruitful discussions and exchanged experiences regarding the involvement of the private sector in the development and implementation of effective anti-corruption measures and policies, all within the framework of the UNCAC.
Mirella Dummar Frahi, Chief of the UNODC Civil Society Unit, emphasized that UNCAC fundamentally shapes the environment in which the private sector operates. Given the fundamental role of the private sector in combatting corruption, it is imperative to grasp the essence and advantages of the Convention, advocate for its application and oversight, and establish preventative measures and collaborative approaches in accordance with its provisions.
Desislava Gotskova, Head of RAI Secretariat, highlighted that the benefits of strengthening regional cooperation remain essential for the effective implementation of all initiatives, especially in the review and implementation of UNCAC. Recognizing that corporate and business integrity can only be safeguarded through efficient cooperation and joint endeavors. She also highlighted the importance of SEE-TAC in bringing together different actors from all over the region in order to exchange experiences and best practices and cultivate collaborative actions.
During the first day, the agenda combined both the theoretical overview of the fundamental principles of the Conventions focusing on possibilities for private sector engagement, as well as the practical work in groups related to ethical leadership and leading with integrity. Day two was devoted to the topic of business integrity, focusing on importance of business ethics and corporate integrity as important elements to secure the competitive advantage of companies and the financial systems even in times of crisis and risks.
This regional event was organized under auspices of the Regional Programme Southeast Europe-Together against Corruption (SEE-TAC) with the financial support of the Austrian Development Cooperation.
Event Agenda
Photo Gallery

Policy Forum: Anti-Corruption, Democratic Resilience and Economic Security
2023-11-09 | Sofia, Bulgaria
The Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative Secretariat represented by Ms. Desislava Gotskova, Head of Secretariat and Mr. Nikola Naumovski, Senior Anti-corruption Adviser, participated in the International Policy Forum “Anti-corruption, Democratic Resilience and Economic Security”, organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy Bulgaria on 9 November 2023 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Forum started with opening remarks of Mr. Ognian Shentov, Chairman of the Center for the Study of Democracy, and Mr. Siri Beate Barry, Ambassador of Norway to Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, who underlined the necessity for putting existing policy engagements into practice, while the keynote speakers Mr. Nikolay Denkov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria and Ms. Laura Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor both acknowledged the challenges facing EU initiatives aimed at combating corruption and state capture. They highlighted that the solution should be sought not only in fair and effective justice but also through awareness and cultural change.
Mr. Denkov emphasized that the fight against corruption is not only a fight to save public money but a fight to preserve democracy. In his words, the importance of the fight against corruption has acquired new and more global dimensions.
“When it comes to corruption, it was already hard enough to make citizens understand how it influences their lives. In reality, corruption has been and continues to be tolerated to a large extent. Everywhere. There is no clean country,” said Ms. Laura Kövesi.
The Forum comprised presentations and panel discussions covering the key principles and requirements over the agenda topics: Building Democratic Resilience through Anti-Corruption Policy and Action; Anti-Corruption Policy Implementation; New Instruments for Engagement and Impact; Countering Strategic Corruption and Advancing Economic Security in Europe and Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships against Corruption.
The panellists underlined that the lack of strong political leaders, capacity and procedures are hampering the effort to stop illicit financial flows, as well as the process of freezing and seizing assets belonging to actors sanctioned for corruption, illegal enrichment, money laundering, and organized crime. They recommended the systematic and continuous use of corruption risk assessment tools to identify and prevent the most prevalent and damaging corruption and conflict of interest schemes at institutional, sector and local levels. It is also necessary to harmonize the definitions of all corruption offenses, increase sanctions on natural and legal persons, develop e-Governance, and provide better investigative tools. In conclusion, the participants encouraged lawmakers and law enforcement to work jointly with the civil society, academia, business and media.
Ms. Desislava Gotskova, Head of RAI Secretariat, chaired a panel “Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships against Corruption” with prominent speakers: Boyko Todorov, Senior Associate Fellow, Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria, Ferenc Bíró, President, Hungarian Integrity Authority, Aleksandra Vojinović, Secretary of the Council, Agency for Prevention of Corruption, Montenegro and Daniel Belingher, Head of Service for Implementing Structural Funds, Studies and Strategies, National Integrity Agency, Romania.
RAI is continuing to support the efforts and anticorruption reforms in West Balkans countries, Moldova and Ukraine to speed up the EU accession process by providing and unique platform for knowledge and practice sharing between the countries in Southeast Europe.

Regional Round Table “Bridging for Effective Asset Disclosure Systems"
2023-12-20 | Skopje, North Macedonia, Skopje, North Macedonia
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat organized a momentous event in Skopje, North Macedonia, on December 20, 2023. The Regional Roundtable, named “Bridging for Effective Asset Disclosure Systems,” united representatives from relevant institutions across Southeast Europe. Coordinated by the RAI Secretariat in collaboration with the State Commission for Preventing Corruption of North Macedonia, the event aimed to bolster collaboration and address challenges associated with asset disclosure systems in the region.
Welcoming participants to the Roundtable, Ms. Desislava Gotskova, the Head of RAI Secretariat, underscored RAI’s role in facilitating the development, negotiations, and signing of the International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations. To streamline data exchange and the asset declaration verification process and to prepare for the effective implementation of the Treaty, RAI Secretariat has initiated a Blueprint in which the existing gaps and challenges in the current asset declaration systems have been assessed.
Ms. Biljana Ivanovska, President of the State Commission for Preventing Corruption of North Macedonia, extended a warm welcome on behalf of her institution. She emphasized RAI’s proactive efforts in developing a regional mechanism for asset disclosure. This involved a thorough assessment of the legal and digital architecture in beneficiary jurisdictions to identify key obstacles. The aim was to collectively find solutions at the regional level, to strengthen the exchange of information and mitigate challenges in the asset disclosure process.
The working session commenced with insightful presentations during the first session, titled “Asset Disclosure: A Tool to Prevent Corruption,” delivered by prominent RAI partners. Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Trento, Mr. Andrea Di Nicola, delivered presentation of the qAID Project “Towards contemporary knowledge and innovative tools for assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of asset and interest disclosure systems in EU member and candidate states,” conducted in collaboration with RAI. In the second session, RAI experts, Ms. Irena Brzanova and Mr. Esmin Berhamovic provided an overview of outcomes and recommendations from the Blueprint. A significant focus was also placed on the exchange of views and expressing professional and practical opinions of participants, during the third session, with only one goal: to contribute to building an effective and efficient asset declaration system.
The event concluded with the official adoption of the Blueprint document, marking a significant milestone in the fight against corruption in the region. In summary, the “Bridging for Effective Asset Disclosure Systems” roundtable in Skopje signifies a substantial step forward in the regional effort to combat corruption.
This regional event was organized under auspices of the Regional Programme Southeast Europe-Together against Corruption (SEE-TAC) with the financial support of the Austrian Development Cooperation.

AGENDA

44th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2024-12-05 - 2024-12-06 | Tirana, Albania
Representatives of Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative member countries gathered in Tirana for the 44th RAI Steering Group Meeting, hosted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Anti-Corruption of Albania as part of the Week of Integrity. This important event brought together representatives of anti-corruption bodies, ministries, and agencies from across the SEE region to review the progress and implementation of ongoing projects, evaluate the Work Plan 2023-2025, and align RAI’s strategic objectives.
In the opening remarks, Ms. Adea Pirdeni, Minister of Public Administration and Anti-Corruption expressed support for the work of RAI and praised the organization for bringing the region together to discuss the challenges and look for solutions together.
RAI Chairperson, Mr. Dražen Jelenić, expressed in his opening remarks optimism for fruitful and important discussions with a focus on strengthening regional cooperation through enhanced anti-corruption mechanisms and planning activities for the upcoming year. Mr. Jelenić also underlined that the anti-corruption efforts and initiatives taken by Albania can serve as an inspiration to the entire region.
Additional Information:
Summary and Decisions

Training on CRA in the Nature/Biodiversity Protection Sector
2025-11-17 | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Target groups:

Representatives from the Ministry responsible for environmental protection; the Ministry of Justice; the anti-corruption body; other independent oversight institutions; services of parliamentary committees in charge of environmental protection and anti-corruption; public enterprises, and other state entities responsible for nature protection and management of protected areas.
Representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) involved in environmental protection and anti-corruption efforts.

The Overall Goal of the Training:
To introduce participants to the content and purpose of the CRA Guidance with Checklists in the Nature/Biodiversity Protection Sector and to build their capacity to apply the Checklists in their work when analysing areas and processes particularly vulnerable to corruption, and in identifying measures for improvement.
