International conference on financial crime and asset recovery closes

12 February 2010

Delegates from more than 20 developing countries have been learning about financial crime and asset recovery at conference hosted in Jersey.

The international conference was held to discuss with representatives from 26 countries in Africa and Asia Pacific how best to obtain information on financial crime and to recover the proceeds of such crime on a global basis.

Speakers included the Financial Secretary to HM Treasury, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms MP, who congratulated Jersey’s leadership in taking the initiative to hold the conference.

Jersey’s Chief Minister, Senator Terry Le Sueur, said in his closing speech: “Bringing together delegates from developing countries and speakers from relevant international organisations the conference has presented an excellent opportunity to learn from the developing countries what help they most needed; hear from the international organisations of their experience to-date in helping in the recovery of the proceeds of financial crime; hear what help Jersey can offer developing countries and hear about the future global action that is needed.”

Following the conference, Senator Le Sueur, added: “Jersey has a track record of assisting in the recovery of stolen assets, in contributing to training programmes in developing countries, and in inviting regulators and law enforcement officials to come to Jersey to learn from our experience at first hand.

“The conference demonstrated that there was much appreciation of what we have achieved in compliance with international standards on financial regulation, anti-money laundering and tax transparency and information exchange. We are determined to continue to play an active role in the pursuit of the G20 objectives in helping developing countries, and the conference is but one step down a road at the end of which hopefully there will be much of benefit for all concerned.”

The next step will be to produce a draft statement of outcomes of the conference, obtain the agreement of delegates and circulate the statement to the international community.