Professional service providers, such as lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and company agents play a vital role in keeping the financial system honest. They are often the first line of defence against money-laundering and corruption, helping to check customers, report suspicious activities, and ensure transparency about who really owns companies and assets. When they follow the rules, these professionals are essential allies in protecting economies and societies from crime.
However, problems arise when a small minority of these professionals misuse their expertise, skills and influence. By bending or bypassing the rules, they can assist corrupt individuals and organized criminals in moving, hiding and protecting stolen wealth. Recent global scandals and data leaks have exposed how frequently weak regulations, legal loopholes or poor oversight allow illicit money to flow through trusted professions. This undermines the objectives of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which calls for stronger efforts to prevent corruption and promote transparency and accountability in both the public and private sectors. The consequences are staggering: trillions of dollars diverted away from essential services like healthcare and education, undermining development, fairness and trust in institutions.
Under the Sevilla Initiative for Accountable Service Providers, UNODC, together with the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (UNODC/World Bank), Open Ownership, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre and Transparency International, aims to make professional service providers an essential part of the solution - as trusted defenders of transparency and accountability. The Initiative is a direct follow-up to the Fourth Financing for Development Conference and aligns with commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption and the Financial Action Task Force. It works with governments to strengthen oversight and ensure accountability of those who facilitate financial crime.
UNODC, 2025
The Sevilla Initiative for Accountable Service Providers - led by UNODC, StAR and partners - seeks to work with professional service providers to close global regulatory gaps, strengthen ethics and compliance and enhance international cooperation to counter corruption, money-laundering, and illicit financial flows.
World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative (World Bank/UNODC), 2021
The Unifying Framework is a value-based self-regulatory model for private sector “gatekeepers” to prevent illicit financial flows. It outlines five practices, three principles, and unites global professionals to complement and strengthen existing regulatory measures.
The Sevilla Platform for Action unites countries and partners behind 130 initiatives to implement the Sevilla Commitment, advance Financing for Development outcomes, close the SDG financing gap, tackle debt challenges, and promote inclusive, resilient global financial architecture reform.
