ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS and ASSET RECOVERY in the Republic of Azerbaijan
ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS AND ASSET RECOVERY In The Republic of Azerbaijan RESEARCH PAPER 2021 Funded by the European Union Foreword Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) impact a country’s economic and social development in a myriad of ways. Undocumented fights of wealth to and from - as well as within - a country have severe repercussions on government revenues, wealth that could otherwise be invested in public spending and other forms of economic and social reforms. Illicit fnancial fows, particularly those related to organised crime, also withdraw funds from the legitimate economy and may force the State to divert more resources to prevent and respond to criminal activity or to treat or compensate victims. The drain on resources and tax revenues caused by IFFs blocks the expansion of basic social services and infrastructure programs that are targeted at improving the wellbeing and capacities of all citizens, in particular, the very poor. IFFs in many developing countries mean fewer hospitals, schools, police, roads and job opportunities, as well as lower pensions. It is for these reasons that States must place signifcantly higher priority on seizing and confscating illicitly- obtained assets, and to channel such recovered assets to high-priority development needs. New paradigms and policies to counter IFFs must be established to produce an unbroken chain of work from tracing, freezing, seizure, confscation and recovery of illicitly-obtained assets, through transparent management and liquidation of such assets, to distribution of the proceeds to high-priority development needs. It is this mechanism and paradigm that will enable countries to capture billions in assets and to directly channel them into, for example, more schools, hospitals, community clinics and infrastructure, as well as the much-needed payment of salaries for teachers, nurses and doctors.
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