UAE and France Forge Stronger Partnership on Asset Recovery and Financial Crime
Senior officials from both nations convened during the UN Congress on Crime Prevention to explore deepened cooperation in combating financial crime and recovering criminal assets.
The General Secretariat of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Committee has engaged in substantive discussions with French authorities to advance cooperation in asset recovery and the broader fight against financial crime.
The meeting, which took place during the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, brought together representatives from multiple UAE government entities alongside a high-level French delegation. The French contingent included Pascal Prache, National Financial Prosecutor; Vanessa Perrée, National Prosecutor for Organized Crime; and Charlotte Hemmerdinger, Director General of France’s Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AGRASC).
Central to the discussions was the prospect of the UAE joining the Camden Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN), an internationally recognised mechanism designed to facilitate cooperation among law enforcement and financial authorities in tracking and recovering proceeds derived from criminal activity. This membership would strengthen communication channels between relevant authorities across borders and enhance the United Arab Emirates’ capacity to participate in international asset recovery initiatives.
The delegation also reviewed the significant work undertaken by the Middle East and North Africa Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (MENA-ARIN), which currently operates under the UAE’s leadership. Discussions explored the possibility of France joining the network in an observer capacity, an arrangement that would encourage the sharing of specialised expertise and help establish broader international partnerships dedicated to combating financial crime and asset recovery.
These bilateral engagements reflect the UAE’s continued commitment to strengthening its role as a responsible international actor in the fight against financial crime, money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation.
Source: WAM