The 11th Lausanne Seminar was virtually held on September 2 - 3, 2021, bringing together over 150 participants across the public and private sectors to discuss best practices related to the recovery of illicit assets. An initiative of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; Directorate of International Law, and jointly organized with the Basel Institute's International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) and the Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative, the Lausanne Seminars have been ongoing since the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) with a focus on enhancing international cooperation and coordination in the fight against stolen assets.
This year's Lausanne Seminar highlighted the need for cooperation between public authorities and private financial institutions. The sessions showcased where such collaborative mechanisms already exist, the benefits to such engagement, and the challenges which still remain to be addressed.