IG Participates In International Expert Meeting On Asset Return And Sustainable Development In Ethiopia
The Inspectorate
of Government (IG) participated in the International Expert Meeting on Asset
Return and Sustainable Development, dubbed “Addis 5,” held at the United
Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 6th to 8th October
2026.
Organised by the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the meeting was part of the
Addis Process, which provides a platform for international dialogue and
cooperation on asset return and its contribution to sustainable development. It
built on four previous expert meetings held in Addis Ababa in 2017, 2019 and
2024, and in Nairobi in 2022.
The meeting
brought together representatives from 28 countries to exchange experiences and
information on asset recovery and return cases, examine their impact on sustainable
development, review draft guidelines for international organisations involved
in asset returns, and strengthen cooperation among countries handling ongoing
cases.
Discussions
focused on implementing the United Nations Convention against Corruption
(UNCAC), particularly in tracing and returning stolen assets across
jurisdictions. Participants emphasised the importance of ensuring that returned
assets benefit the original victims of corruption and contribute to the
achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), rather than simply
being transferred to national treasuries without adequate safeguards against
possible re-embezzlement.
The meeting also
explored opportunities to reinvest recovered assets in anti-corruption
initiatives and asset recovery programmes, as well as the role of international
organisations in supporting these efforts and civil society organisations in
strengthening transparency and accountability.
Other areas of
discussion included draft guidelines for international organisations involved
in asset returns, a proposed asset recovery template, and mechanisms for
reinvesting recovered funds in anti-corruption and asset recovery initiatives.
Uganda was
represented by a delegation from the Inspectorate of Government, the Office of
the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Directorate for Ethics and
Integrity in the Office of the President. The IG was represented by Dr. Ernest
Katwesigye, Assistant Director, Asset Recovery.
The Ugandan
delegation shared the country’s experience in managing recovered assets to
support national development priorities. The delegation explained that
recovered funds are channelled through an asset recovery account before being
transferred to the Consolidated Fund to support Government priorities.
The engagement
also provided an opportunity for the Ugandan delegation to establish and
strengthen partnerships with international counterparts, particularly in
cross-border asset tracing, investigation and recovery.
On the sidelines
of the meeting, the Ugandan delegation paid a courtesy call on the Embassy of
Uganda in Addis Ababa, where they met the First Secretary, Ms. Daphine Teddy
Nyanduri. During the visit, Dr. Katwesigye briefed her on the Inspectorate’s
commemoration of International Ombuds Day and highlighted the importance of the
Ombudsman function in addressing maladministration and promoting administrative
justice.