INTERPOL Gathers Global Community to Strengthen the Fight Against Corruption, Illicit Finance, and Crime in SportsA major international gathering in Abu Dhabi has placed the fight against corruption and the recovery of illicit assets at the center of global law-enforcement cooperation. The INTERPOL Global Conference on Anti-Corruption and Asset Recovery, held alongside the 15th Annual INTERPOL Match Fixing Task Force meeting, concluded this week after bringing together more than 500 experts from over 90 countries.
Hosted by INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC) in partnership with the Government of the United Arab Emirates, the events ran from 11 to 13 November and were opened by INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi and Abu Dhabi Police Commander-in-Chief Ahmed Saif bin Zaitoon Al Muhairi. Both gatherings underscored an urgent global priority: dismantling corrupt networks that enable financial crime, recovering hidden assets, and reinforcing integrity across public institutions and sport.
Throughout the Anti-Corruption and Asset Recovery Conference, speakers highlighted the systemic links between corruption, money laundering, environmental crime and organized criminal groups. Delegates stressed that corruption continues to undermine national governance structures, allowing illicit profits to circulate undetected. Calls were made for deeper institutional reforms, stronger regulatory oversight, and transparent reporting systems capable of exposing abuses of power. Participants also examined INTERPOL’s expanding role in transnational asset recovery, particularly through the growing use of the Silver Notice, which facilitates international tracing of assets tied to criminal activity.
Key global partners—including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), OECD and UNODC—contributed insights on how multi-agency cooperation can disrupt financial flows that sustain corruption. Their involvement reinforced a shared message: only coordinated international action can close the loopholes exploited by corrupt actors.
Running parallel, the Match Fixing Task Force meeting explored integrity risks in sport, including emerging threats in the rapidly expanding e-sports sector. While sports crime formed the second pillar of the event, discussions repeatedly returned to corruption as a driving force behind illegal betting markets and competition manipulation. Delegates emphasized technological tools, intelligence sharing and stronger cross-border partnerships as essential to protecting athletes, competitions and broader public trust.
On 12 November, INTERPOL and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) co-hosted an Integrity in Sport Workshop for representatives from South Asia and the UAE, helping law-enforcement bodies and National Olympic Committees refine their roles in detecting corruption-driven competition manipulation.