Tunisia calls for stronger international cooperation on illicit assets at UN meeting

Tunisia has called for a substantial strengthening of international cooperation in recovering illicit funds and directing them toward human rights initiatives. This plea was made during an experts' meeting at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on June 8, 2026.

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the right of States to recover their looted funds constitutes a legitimate right recognized by international law.

The meeting was part of implementing UN Human Rights Council resolution 58/7, adopted in April 2025 at the urging of the African Group, with significant contributions from Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. The resolution underscores the detrimental effect that the non-return of illicitly obtained funds has on the enjoyment of human rights, stressing the need for enhanced global collaboration.

Kamal Ben Hussein, Director General of Legal Affairs at Tunisia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that a nation's right to reclaim stolen funds is a legitimate right recognized by international law. He praised resolution 58/7 as a crucial advancement within the UN human rights system. However, Ben Hussein emphasized that the recovery of illicit assets serves as a critical test for the effectiveness of international justice and the credibility of collective commitments against corruption and transnational organized crime.

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the question of recovering illicit assets represents today a real test of the effectiveness of international justice and the credibility of collective engagement in the fight against corruption and transnational organized crime.

Ben Hussein reminded attendees that diverted funds represent essential resources denied to populations, impacting development, stability, and trust in institutions. While acknowledging a developed international legal framework, including the UN Convention Against Corruption, he pointed to persistent difficulties. These include complex national legal systems, evidentiary challenges, lengthy judicial procedures, and the use of opaque financial mechanisms and bank secrecy, all of which complicate asset tracing and restitution.

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The diverted funds are not limited to simple financial flows, but constitute essential resources of which populations are deprived, directly affecting development, stability and confidence in institutions.