Joining forces in global efforts against financial crimes

Held at the United Nations Vienna International Centre, this comprehensive training was supported by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) through the EU Global Facility on AML/CFT project.

A team of experts from the FATF and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delivered the training to participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Senegal and Togo.

Head of the FATF Training Institute, Joël Godard, shed light on the historical context of the FATF’s training initiatives. “When the Republic of Korea held the presidency of the FATF back in 2015-2016, they prioritised training and went on to establish a training and research institute that evolved into the current FATF Training Institute in November 2020.”

“But, as the world grappled with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to deliver the training activity in a virtual format. So this in-person training in Vienna marks the official return to more interactive and enriching learning experiences outside of the FATF Training Institute,” he points out.

The FATF Training Institute aims to provide comprehensive training on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) measures, benefiting government officials throughout the Global Network. It aims to ultimately enhance global capacity to protect the integrity of the financial system.

David Hotte, Team Leader of the EU Global Facility, emphasised the significance of supporting the FATF Standards Training Course. “Our focus on supporting Africa in terms of technical assistance and capacity building fully aligns with the FATF's mission of fostering global cooperation in combating financial crimes. The region has faced unique challenges addressing financial crimes and AML/CFT awareness so it is crucial that a network of local experts is progressively built within African jurisdictions to work towards increased compliance to FATF standards.”

“As of July 2023, the EU Global Facility has delivered bilateral technical assistance to 26 countries worldwide, 11 of which are in Africa,” David Hotte explained, stressing the strong commitment of the project to South-South cooperation. “For us, it is important that individuals undertaking these trainings go back to their jurisdictions and disseminate these good practices themselves.”

The successful FATF Standards Training Course in Vienna is a testament to the power of international cooperation and knowledge exchange in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.