26 May 2025

Organization’s profile

Transparency International France (TI France), established in 1995, is the French chapter of the global anti-corruption organization Transparency International. Dedicated to promoting transparency and integrity in public life, TI France engages in advocacy, strategic litigation, and public education to combat corruption and enhance accountability in France and beyond.

In the late 2000s, TI France became a pivotal actor in the “Biens mal acquis” (“ill-gotten gains”) cases, collaborating with other civil society organizations to initiate legal actions against foreign leaders accused of embezzling public funds and investing them in France. Notably, in 2008, TI France filed a complaint against Teodorin Obiang, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea. This led to a landmark conviction in 2017, upheld by France’s highest court in 2021, resulting in the confiscation of assets worth approximately €150 million.

Beyond litigation, TI France has advocated for legislative reforms to ensure that recovered assets are returned to the populations harmed by corruption. Its efforts contributed to the 2021 adoption of a French law establishing a restitution mechanism for confiscated assets, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and civil society participation.

Organization’s experience

Transparency International France (TI France) is an active member of the UNCAC Coalition and co-chairs its Working Group on Asset Recovery. Sara Brimbeuf, TI France’s Senior Advocacy Officer on Illicit Financial Flows, leads this role, facilitating collaboration among civil society experts to promote transparent and accountable asset recovery processes.

TI France has contributed significantly to UNCAC-related initiatives. In February 2024, it participated in a UN expert meeting on obstacles to the repatriation of illicit funds, emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, and civil society inclusion in asset restitution. Additionally, TI France has advocated for political finance transparency, highlighting its role in combating corruption and defending democracy.

Top 3 priorities to achieve as a CCC Member

• Advancing the recognition of victims of corruption and their rights, by promoting mechanisms that acknowledge the harm caused by corruption and ensuring that affected individuals and communities are represented and heard in anti-corruption and judicial proceedings.
  
• Strengthening asset recovery frameworks and ensuring that confiscated assets are transparently and accountably returned for the direct benefit of victims and populations harmed by corruption, in line with international standards and best practices.
  
• Empowering and protecting civil society in the fight against corruption and financial opacity, by supporting an enabling environment for civic engagement, enhancing transparency frameworks, and fostering collaboration among anti-corruption actors at national, regional, and international levels.

Candidate’s profile

Sara Brimbeuf is the Senior Advocacy Officer for Grand Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows at Transparency International France. A trained lawyer with a Master’s degree in International Economic Law from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, she joined the organization in 2018.

At TI France, Brimbeuf leads efforts on asset recovery, anti-money laundering, and beneficial ownership transparency. She coordinates the organization’s involvement in high-profile transnational corruption cases, notably the “Biens mal acquis” (ill-gotten gains) cases, where TI France has acted as a civil party. Her work has been instrumental in advocating for the restitution of confiscated assets to the populations harmed by corruption. Brimbeuf played a key role in the development and adoption of France’s 2021 law establishing a mechanism for the restitution of assets derived from grand corruption, ensuring that returned funds benefit affected communities. She also co-chairs the UNCAC Coalition’s Working Group on Asset Recovery, promoting transparency and accountability in international asset return processes.

Contributions to the work of the Coalition

TI-France firmly believes in the power of justice and uses every available forum to ensure corrupt actors are held accountable and victims’ harm is acknowledged and compensated. As a board member of the UNCAC Coalition, TI-France would work to elevate civil society voices, promote accountability, and keep anti-corruption efforts rooted in justice and human rights. In a context of global setbacks and threats to multilateralism, TI-France is committed to reinforcing transnational coordination among civil society actors worldwide, by fostering collaboration, sharing tools, and amplifying advocacy to sustain momentum in the global fight against corruption.

Candidacy & Interest Disclosure