As transnational criminal networks deploy ever more sophisticated technology to conceal illicit wealth, authorities worldwide are stepping up efforts to dismantle international financial crime. These priorities set the agenda in Azerbaijan, where delegates convened for the Third High-Level Meeting of the Heads of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The summit centred on implementing the Makkah al-Mukarramah Convention, which the OIC describes as the first multilateral anti-corruption law enforcement agreement tailored specifically for its member states. The treaty aims to establish a unified legal foundation to track illicit financial flows across borders, a challenge that has grown more urgent with the rise of artificial intelligence and digital money laundering techniques.
Overcoming bureaucratic borders
Cross-border financial investigations often hit significant legal barriers, a point underscored by Malaysia's recent experience in recovering stolen assets. Abd Halim Bin Aman, Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, detailed his agency's multi-year effort to trace and repatriate funds linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
"We managed to achieve our goal of tackling the 1MDB matter and as of today we managed to bring back home about 75% to 80% to outside countries, and we managed to bring back about 33 billion Malaysian ringgit worth of loss," he said.
Originally created in 2009 as a state-owned strategic development fund, 1MDB became synonymous with one of the largest financial kleptocracy scandals in history, after billions of dollars were siphoned through offshore shell companies and international bank accounts. According to the US Justice Department, between 2009 and 2015, funds were "laundered through major financial institutions worldwide, including in the United States, Switzerland, Singapore, and Luxembourg," with more than $4.5 billion (approximately €4 billion) misappropriated through a criminal scheme. The department has repatriated an additional $156 million (about €139 million) to Malaysia, bringing the total returned to roughly $1.4 billion (about €1.2 billion).
Bin Aman also shared his view on what typically slows such international cases. "Bureaucracy is always being an obstacle to any investigation," he said, adding that the summit provides a necessary platform to share legislation and best practices to speed up investigations regardless of legal backgrounds.
Ivica Bošnjak, Deputy Minister of Security for Bosnia and Herzegovina, outlined the unique structural and geographical pressures facing his country. "Bosnia and Herzegovina is complicated and complex in the political part, and therefore the organization of the entire security system is complex," he said. National authorities must coordinate "16 police agencies and a whole series of other law enforcement agencies" operating across the security sector. While the state has adopted extensive legal regulations and action plans, Bošnjak told Euronews that "much still needs to be done to refine a couple of more crucial laws" and operational strategies to tackle cross-border financial crime effectively.
Building a global enforcement coalition
Tugay Rahimli, Special Assistant to the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, outlined the scale and primary objective of the summit. "Today's event brings together more than 250 participants from 46 member and service states as well as eight international organisations," he said. "The main objective of today's event is to facilitate and foster international cooperation among member states, facilitate exchange of information and best practices, as well as to enhance the joint efforts to recover the assets obtained through crime."
Rahimli also highlighted a key leadership development for the host nation: "Particularly important outcomes of today's event that I would like to highlight is the election of Azerbaijan to chair the bureau for the next two years." This move positions Baku at the centre of the OIC's anti-corruption efforts, a role that could have ripple effects for European partners engaged in cross-border investigations.
Kamran Aliyev, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, confirmed the host nation's immediate legislative steps regarding the Makkah al-Mukarramah Convention, which is designed to facilitate mutual legal assistance, the exchange of information, and the recovery of assets derived through corruption. "This convention first was adopted in 2022 in the city of Makkah, of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and this is a new platform in fighting corruption at a regional level," Aliyev said.
The push for a global enforcement coalition comes as European institutions and national agencies increasingly cooperate with OIC members on financial crime cases. The EU's own enforcement challenges highlight the difficulty of policing cross-border economic activity, while the use of AI in public services is becoming a double-edged sword in the fight against sophisticated criminals. As the OIC moves toward a more unified legal framework, the lessons from cases like 1MDB may offer a blueprint for faster, more effective international asset recovery.
