A new Iraqi initiative, coordinated internationally, aims to recover looted funds smuggled abroad.
A new Iraqi initiative, coordinated internationally, aims to recover looted funds smuggled abroad.
2025-12-20 06:28
Shafaq News – Doha
On Saturday, the head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Mohammed Ali Al-Lami, conducted intensive bilateral Iraqi efforts to coordinate the recovery of looted funds and assets smuggled out of Iraq, with the heads of delegations and international organizations in Doha.
A statement issued by the Integrity Commission and received by Shafaq News Agency said, “The activities of the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption concluded in Doha today, with broad international participation and representatives of more than (190) countries, where the sessions witnessed an international consensus on the need to preserve the gains of the Convention as the most important legal framework for combating transnational crime.”
The statement added that “participants called for strengthening regional and international cooperation to adopt innovative initiatives to curb corruption, with strict emphasis on not using states of emergency and conflicts as a pretext for escaping punishment, and ensuring that perpetrators of corruption crimes are prosecuted no matter how great the challenges, in order to guarantee the rule of law and protect the resources of the people.”
He affirmed that “the delegation of the Republic of Iraq, headed by the Chairman of the Federal Integrity Commission, Muhammad Ali Al-Lami, made an active presence in most of the conference sessions and activities, where the delegation presented an integrated strategic vision that is consistent with international trends aimed at finding new approaches that go beyond national frameworks to confront corruption, stressing that punishing the corrupt, protecting their victims and recovering the proceeds obtained from crime represent a fundamental pillar for the enforcement of the law.”
He pointed out that “Al-Lami conducted intensive bilateral activity that included meetings with heads of delegations and international organizations to coordinate directions and unify visions, overcome the technical and legal obstacles that hinder the file of recovering looted funds and assets smuggled abroad, and agree on new procedural steps to enhance cross-border cooperation.”
He pointed out that “the delegation adopted decisions and initiatives that focused on activating international financial prosecution mechanisms and drying up sources of money laundering. Iraq also announced its support for a number of international decisions that aligned with its national orientations, foremost among them the decisions related to the use of modern technology to dismantle organized criminal groups and enhance transparency in government contracts.”
He explained that the decisions included “supporting initiatives calling for empowering the role of civil society in oversight, and these decisions all contribute to the success of international anti-corruption efforts and are consistent with the Iraqi policy aimed at instilling the values of integrity and building sustainable community partnerships.”
He explained that “the conference discussions stressed that the next stage requires turning political commitments into concrete practical measures, with the need to activate international accountability mechanisms and ensure that there are no safe havens for smuggled funds, as concerted efforts between the member states are the only way to break the back of organized corruption.”
He stressed that “the conference’s outcomes represent a roadmap for sustaining transparency by enhancing technology in oversight, supporting the independence of national oversight institutions, and ensuring the continuity of high-level coordination between international organizations and member states, thus protecting the global economy from the repercussions of transnational financial crimes.”
shafaq.com
