On 4 August 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in collaboration with the Asset Recovery Committee under the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, organized a training workshop for officers of the Committee. The event focused on the application and enhancement of the civil confiscation mechanism.
The workshop brought together 29 participants - 4 women and 25 men - representing the Asset Recovery Committee, the Anti-Corruption Service of the National Security Committee, the Financial Monitoring Agency, the Law Enforcement Academy, and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It served as a platform for open discussion and knowledge exchange, highlighting international good practices, case studies, and tools for developing national anti-money laundering strategies.
Led by Ms. Oxana Gisca, a renowned international expert and officer of the Service for the Prevention and Control of Money Laundering (SPCSML) of the Republic of Moldova, the training event covered several key topics, including an overview of international standards on civil forfeiture, a comparison of legal models, key principles and trends, and international co-operation in asset recovery. The workshop also delved into mutual legal assistance (MLA) requests and interaction with high-secrecy jurisdictions.
Participants actively engaged in group work, which focused on analyzing practical cases, considering typical scenarios, and developing effective solutions. The sessions also explored the legal and practical aspects of civil confiscation without conviction, with case studies drawn from the United Kingdom and Italy. Special attention was given to overcoming legal and institutional barriers to the use of civil confiscation.
The event reaffirmed the OSCE Programme Office in Astana's commitment to strengthening Kazakhstan's capacity in anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) by promoting professional development and fostering strategic dialogue that contributes to a more resilient and effective national asset recovery system.
