GIABA Holds 32nd Technical Commission/Plenary and 21st Ministerial Committee Meetings in Saly – Republic of Senegal

The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will hold its 32^nd Technical Commission/Plenary and 20^th Ministerial Committee (GMC) Meetings in Saly, Republic of Senegal, from 10^th to 16^th November, 2019.

Convened twice a year, the Plenary meetings are designed to facilitate discussions among technicians in Member States (MS) hinging around the threats and challenges associated with Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/TF) in the region. The GIABA Plenaries also provide an opportunity for MS to address pertinent issues that require a concerted and harmonized approach in the effective implementation of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures. Finally, as an experience sharing platform, the plenary sessions also provide an opportunity to establish partnerships among experts, representatives of Member States, technical partners and observers in AML/CFT.

During the preliminary meetings of this session, the 2^nd Round Mutual Evaluation Reports of the Republics of Benin and Mali will be considered. The Evaluation and Compliance Group (ECG) experts will also consider the first Follow-Up Report to the 2^nd Round Mutual Evaluation of Senegal as well as the Follow-Up Reports under the 1^st Round Mutual Evaluation of The Union of The Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea and The Gambia.  

The objective of the GIABA Mutual Evaluation Process and Procedures is to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the laws, regulations or other measures as required by the core criteria, to ascertain whether all the requisite measures have been comprehensively and conveniently implemented. They also seek to assist the assessed countries in resolving the deficiencies identified in their AML/CFT regimes, with a view to ensuring effectiveness and compliance with international standards.  

Part of the plenary programme will also include meetings of the Risks, Trends and Methods Group (RTMG), the Technical Assistance Forum with technical partners as well as the closed session of the Regional Forum of Financial Intelligence Units (FFIUs). Finally, other key activities such as the presentation of the Director General’s Activity Report as well the presentation of Guinea Bissau’s Action Plan on the implementation of recommendations relating to the improvement of its AML/CFT regime,  will also be some of the items on the Agenda of this Technical Commission/Plenary Meeting.

The opening ceremony of the 32^nd Plenary meeting, scheduled for 14^th November 2019, will be attended by the GIABA line Ministers and other senior state officials of the Republics of Senegal.

The GIABA Ministerial Committee meeting, which will be held on 16^th November 2019, will be declared open by His Excellency, Macky SALL, President and Head of State of the Republic of Senegal. This meeting will consider, among others, the Summary of the Director General’s Activity Report and the Report of the 32^nd GIABA Technical Commission/Plenary meetings, as well as the 2^nd Round Mutual Evaluation Reports of Benin and Mali.