BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 6, 2021– Last Friday, the Government of Belize released a statement announcing the signing of an agreement between the Attorney General’s Ministry and the United Nations Development Programme to forward the implementation of the Good Governance reform heralded by the PUP administration.

The Attorney General, Magali Marin Young, has told the nation that her office lacks the human resources to draft the relevant legislation which would enable the activation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Belize.

The UNDP is set to hire international legal experts to work in the Attorney General’s Ministry on the development of modern Civil Asset Recovery and Unexplained Wealth Order legal frameworks, inclusive of primary and subsidiary laws. The passing of such legislation will allow for the investigation and prosecution of corrupt politicians or politically exposed persons.

The Unexplained Wealth Order, or UWO, is a relatively new legal instrument requiring persons who are prosecuted to provide an adequate explanation of how they acquired their assets. If unsatisfactory evidence is provided, the asset will be considered recoverable property by the courts.

The release from the Government of Belize states, “This is in keeping with the government’s commitment to fulfilling the obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).”