Background
Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) continue to undermine sustainable development by eroding domestic resource mobilization, weakening governance systems, and constraining investments in economic and social development. Recognizing the importance of addressing this challenge, the United Nations Development Account Project 15 on Measuring and Curbing Illicit Financial Flows was launched to strengthen the capacities of developing countries to measure IFFs, report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 16.4.1, and formulate evidence-based policies to reduce IFFs.
Over the course of the project, nine pilot countries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Arab region received technical support in statistical capacity development, methodological implementation, institutional strengthening, and policy design. Participating countries established national technical working groups, applied internationally endorsed methodologies, produced preliminary estimates of illicit financial flows, strengthened inter-agency collaboration, and, in several cases, developed policy measures and monitoring frameworks to address identified IFFs risks.
As the project reaches completion, Output OP3.4 envisages an international knowledge-sharing policy forum and close-out conference to be hosted by ECA in Addis Ababa. The conference will bring together participating countries, regional commissions, United Nations entities, experts, and development partners to review achievements, share lessons learned, showcase methodological and policy innovations, and discuss strategies for sustaining national and global efforts to measure and curb illicit financial flows beyond the project period.