The Social Re-Use of Seized and Confiscated Assets: Good Policies and Practices

  Organized crime and corruption undermine state revenues, weaken institutional credibility, and obstruct long-term development goals. Asset recovery, and in particular the social re-use of seized and confiscated assets, is a key response to ensure that illicitly-acquired resources - from financial proceeds to real estate - are not only recovered, but also redirected to serve community needs. The social re-use of seized and confiscated assets is an essential element of the asset recovery cycle, which includes the tracing, seizure, confiscation, management, and eventual return of illicitly-obtained assets. Social re-use is not only about sanctioning crime, but it also refers to channelling confiscated assets back into society by investing them in healthcare, education, employ...

Clicks, Links & Tricks, Oh My! How Serious Organized Criminals Exploit Digital Trust Pathways

The integration of digital infrastructure into every dimension of modern society has created unprecedented opportunities for innovation and growth. At the same time, it has opened new avenues for exploitation by serious and organized criminal actors.The new publication Clicks, Links & Tricks, Oh My! How Serious Organized Criminals Exploit Digital Trust Pathways examines how fundamental components of the Internet - domain names, uniform resource locators (URLs), and web traffic systems - are systematically manipulated. These elements, referred to throughout the report as “digital trust pathways”, have become central enablers of a wide range of illicit activities. Strategically misused, they serve to facilitate, expand, and conceal criminal operations on a global scale.Cybercriminals are...

Access to Justice in the Digital Age: Empowering Victims of Cybercrime in Africa

 Africa’s digital transformation is progressing rapidly, unlocking remarkable socio-economic opportunities across the continent. However, this transformation is also giving rise to a growing array of cyberthreats, with women and girls disproportionately affected. As internet penetration deepens, the gap between technological progress and legal safeguards is becoming more pronounced, exposing critical vulnerabilities in existing protection mechanisms.This new report explores how cybercrime is impacting access to justice in four African countries (Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Uganda) and offers a broader perspective on challenges and responses across the continent. It highlights the pressing need for national and regional responses that are inclusive, coordinated and evidence...