Kyrgyzstan Calls On UN to Retrieve Funds Stolen from Public

Kyrgyzstan Calls On UN to Develop Standards to Help Retrieve Funds Stolen From Public

New York, Sep 22 2011 - The United Nations should develop clear standards and procedures to help countries retrieve public funds that have been embezzled by dictators and kleptocrats, Kyrgyzstan’s President Roza Otunbaeva told world leaders gathered for the General Assembly’s annual general debate today.

“National wealth of the people of Kyrgyzstan, as well as of the people of many other countries in recent decades, has been plundered by corrupt and criminal rulers, with billions of dollars being siphoned off outside the country,” she said.

Speaking on the second day of the debate, Ms. Otunbaeva stressed that “dictators should be held accountable for their crimes against their own people and should not be welcomed and provided refuge abroad.”

Creating UN standards on the return of stolen public funds is a matter of justice as well as finances, she noted.

“This is not about settling personal accounts or politically motivated harassment. This is, above all, about delivering justice and ending impunity.”

Kyrgyz voters are scheduled to go to the polls on 30 October for presidential elections, just over a year after the Central Asian country experienced deadly clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks that killed hundreds of people and displaced an estimated 375,000 others.

The elections are part of a transitional programme established in the wake of the departure of then president Kurmanbek Bakiyev after a violent uprising against his rule in April last year.

Today Ms. Otunbaeva noted that she hoped the ballot next month would “establish a tradition of peaceful transfer of power,” in line with both the constitution and the interests of the people.”

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

ENDS

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