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Asset recovery seeks to deprive corrupt individuals from benefiting from their crimes, deter future corruption, and return stolen assets to their rightful owners or compensate victims of corruption, including the state.

Since 2010, close to US$10 billion in corruption proceeds have been frozen, restrained, confiscated in a destination country, or returned to a country that was harmed by corruption. However, without effective management of the seized and confiscated assets, there may be little to show for these efforts. Although corrupt officials may have been deprived of the benefit of the stolen assets, diminished or negligible value from the disposal of confiscated stolen assets deprives society once again of the assets’ productive

use. 

This Guide continues the evolution of the fight against corruption with a focus on preserving the value of seized assets and maximizing the value at disposal of confiscated assets. The management of seized assets is a challenge, as they may lose value from the moment of seizure until their disposal following the final confiscation decision. Through effective management, confiscated assets can be used to benefit national country budgets, compensate victims, or be repurposed for social causes. 

This Guide aims to provide guidance to practitioners on asset management, from pre-seizure planning to preserving value during custody to maximizing value at disposal. It is intended to provide practitioners with the foundations to build an effective asset management function and to grow the asset portfolio to manage complex assets. Accordingly, the Guide includes recommendations and good practices derived from international studies, experience from interviews with asset management experts, and case examples. In addition, practitioners may benefit from discussions of different approaches among jurisdictions, the case examples, and the detail on managing specific asset types.

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Managing Seized and Confiscated Assets: A Guide for Practitioners
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