The victims of corruption – whether it be communities blighted by shoddy corrupt contracts, or people subject to autocratic regimes sustained through money laundering schemes using the UK financial system – rarely get a look in when it comes to compensation.
We have worked closely with civil servants and law enforcement agencies, and through partnerships with southern civil society groups, to identify the legal barriers to compensation and propose reforms based on emerging best practice. There is now considerable work and serious attention being given to these issues, including through a new cross-departmental working group on compensation and a new cross-government policy on how to return assets to origin countries in an accountable and transparent way.
Working closely with our civil society partners in the Global South, we have used opportunities arising through our court monitoring work to raise the profile and voices of victims in particular cases, as well as calling for the timely return of confiscated assets to origin countries. This has included convening a broad coalition of southern NGOs to write joint letters urging the Serious Fraud Office and the government to compensate victims of mining giant Glencore’s corruption.
This case study is taken from our 2022-23 Impact Report which can be downloaded here.
