Advisory Services
Meeting the Needs of States and Jurisdictions
Strengthening Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs)
Meeting the Needs of States and Jurisdictions
The technical assistance component of the Global Programme against Money-Laundering (GPML) is aimed at meeting the needs of States or Jurisdictions at the national and/or regional level in the implementation of their anti-money-laundering / countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) policies. Its wide range of activities include:
- reviewing all legal and institutional AML/CFT frameworks;
- developing model laws for common and civil law systems
- assisting in the drafting or upgrading of legislation and related regulatory measures;
- ensuring that the necessary AML/CFT mechanisms are in place and are efficiently implemented;
- contributing to the development of specific national and regional institutions, in particular the development of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs);
- fostering the awareness, understanding and implementation of best practices in the regulation of financial services; and
- organizing training workshops and seminars for the key players from law enforcement agencies, judiciaries, regulatory bodies, central banks, and a variety of business enterprises, particularly the banking and finance sector.
GPML continues to focus on capacity building in its work with Member States. Hands-on advice and assistance are being provided to AML/CFT practitioners - law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, financial regulators and FIU personnel. In keeping with the "power of partnership" theme set by the Executive Director in UNODC's Operational Priorities, the GPML joined forces with several international bodies and governments to provide this assistance, which in many cases was co-funded by the partner or host government. Inter-governmental partners included: the Commonwealth Secretariat, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Egmont Group, Aga Khan Foundation, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs), European Union, Arab Academy for Banking & Financial Services, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), as well as the US Department of Justice (OPDAT) and several of the governments which received assistance.
Moreover, GPML has reached observer status within the FATF and FSRBs; Asia/Pacific Group on Money-Laundering (APG), Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), Council of Europe - MONEYVAL, Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money-Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), Eurasian Group (EAG), Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) and the Inter-governmental Action Group Against Money-Laundering and Terrorist Financing in West Africa (GIABA).
Strengthening Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs)
Assistance in establishing FIUs (Financial Intelligence Units) has become a priority in GPML technical assistance activities. An FIU is responsible for receiving, analyzing and disseminating to the competent authorities disclosures of financial information concerning suspected proceeds of crime in order to counter money-laundering or financing of terrorism. The FIU provides a facility for the rapid exchange of information (between financial institutions, law enforcement and judicial authorities), while ensuring confidentiality of the data collected. As such it has become an important part of States' AML/CFT machinery.
Many FIUs participate in a forum, the Egmont Group, established in 1995, in which the (currently) 106 members pursue best practice among FIUs and promote international cooperation in the fight against money-laundering and financing of terrorism. This cooperation can now include the exchange of financial intelligence information on a secure computer network (the Egmont Secure Web-site). GPML is participating at Egmont Group meetings and conducting workshops in cooperation with the Egmont Group.
GPML is also active in a project to elaborate a more automated exchange of information between FIUs, the FIU.Net.