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Webinar on Promoting Transparent Beneficial Ownership in Southeast Asia
Transparency of beneficial ownership is increasingly being regarded as an essential element in the fight against corruption. Corporate vehicles are known means through which those who perpetrate large-scale corruption seek to conceal their identities and hide and transfer the proceeds of corruption.
On 29th September, UNODC brought together experts to discuss the promotion of transparent beneficial ownership in Southeast Asia. The webinar covered topics including best practices when it comes to establishing a central registry, the role of technology in data transparency and ongoing progress across the region on beneficial ownership. A summary of the webinar can be found here.
This was the latest in our ongoing series of webinars on the implementation of the UNCAC. Recent topics have included conflict of interests, compensation of victims of corruption, bribery, integrity in business and the Jakarta Principles.
UNODC held a recent training on investigations into corruption for governmental inspectors in Viet Nam, over 7-9 September 2020 in Hanoi. The workshop brought together specialists from investigation and prosecution units from across the country. Interactive sessions included groupwork on simulated cases, discussions on beneficial ownership, presentations on data analytics and mentoring on how the Penal Code of Viet Nam can be leveraged alongside evidence gathering to secure effective convictions. Click below to see a short video about the response to the training; more about our work in Viet Nam can be found here.
Click here to see a short video showcasing an overview of our latest training in Hanoi, including interviews from investigator and prosecutor participants.
Since May of this year, the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia, in cooperation with UNODC, has organised 7 webinars in Indonesia, focusing on different aspects of the implementation of the UNCAC. Topics have included bribery, conflict of interest, beneficial ownership, integrity in business, the Jarkarta Principles, the provision of compensation to victims of corruption and whistleblower protection in the Indonesian context. The sessions brought together civil society and governmental experts and academics from across Indonesia, to identify ways to incorporate the UNCAC into policy and regulatory frameworks.
Analysis (here) from UNODC on beneficial ownership in Southeast Asia identifies key challenges common to the region and recommendations for technical assistance:
Regulations on beneficial ownership transparency are highly uneven across the region.
While transparency in the banking sector is somewhat regulated, countries in Southeast Asia are considered very secretive regarding transparency of ownership of legal entities and other forms of wealth, such as real estate.
Click here to see the Outcome Document from the UNODC Regional Workshop on Transparency of Beneficial Ownership in Southeast Asia, held in July 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, governments across Southeast Asia brought emergency support packages into effect. However, in some cases, measures were adopted without the necessary oversight mechanisms, increasing the risk of fraud and corruption. As of May, UNODC began analysis on this issue, in cooperation with 10 governments in Southeast Asia. The study looked at each emergency package, legal framework, institutional oversight and underlying risks of corruption and fraud. Findings from the UNODC study include:
All countries in the region used cash payments and grants as support measures, while most also offered tax rebates and loans.
With the exceptions of Singapore and the Philippines, all countries adopted the packages on the basis of decrees rather than laws, such that parliamentary oversight was limited.
In only a minority of countries were Anti-Corruption Agencies actively consulted on avoiding fraud in the disbursement of the funds.
UNODC is in the process of finalising a study giving an overview on the use of data analytics to prevent fraud and corruption, with the cooperation of government and civil society organisations across Southeast Asia. Preliminary findings of the study, due to be launched later this month, include:
Only 44% of governmental agencies surveyed confirmed having been exposed to data analytics as part of their anti-corruption work.
Respondents were most likely to report analysing unstructured data in the course of their work, particularly social media.
Regionally, key challenges include a lack of publicly accessible datasets; restrictive legal frameworks; limited technical infrastructure; insufficient inter-agency cooperation and lack of staff familiarity.
