Oversight Group Meeting on the Implementation of Terrorist Financing Risk Assessments in NPOs (Argentina)
2023-03-23 | Argentina, Argentina
Today, the EU Global Facility wrapped up its first bilateral onsite activity in Argentina, which was centered on the compliance with the requirements of FATF Recommendation 8.
The successful event brought together over 40 representatives from Argentinian authorities and regulators and from local NPOs.
After reviewing in details said requirements of FATF Rec 8, participants focused on the support needed to conduct NPO Sectoral Risk Assessment as required by the Recommendation. They agreed on the next steps to be taken by both authorities/regulators and NPOs in order to further proceed with the Risk Assessment exercise.
These onsite meetings came as a follow up to several online capacity building activities started in October last year.

Scoping mission to Paraguay
2023-03-23 - 2023-03-25 | Paraguay, Paraguay
Last week, part of the EU Global Facility team was in Paraguay to conduct a scoping mission to discuss the future implementation of technical assistance activities on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.
Led by Team Leader David Hotte, the delegation began its visit at the Attorney General’s Office, where the Minister of the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money Laundering (SEPRELAD), René Fernández Bobadilla and Deputy Minister Carmen María Pereira Bogado, welcomed them. The team was accompanied by the Ambassador of the European Union in Paraguay, Javier García de Viedma.
The discussions revolved around the the key priority actions identified in the Mutual Evaluation Report of the Republic of Paraguay approved in 2022 by the GAFILAT, which reflects the needs of the country in AML/CFT.
Later on, the EU Global Facility experts met with the First Vice President, @Carolina Llanes, and Justices Luis María Benítez Riera and Alberto Martínez Simón at the Supreme Court of Justice.
Technical discussions were then led with representatives of the law enforcement agencies in charge of investigating financial crimes, namely SENAD, SENAC, the National Police, Customs and SEPRINTE.
On the last day, a meeting with judges and prosecutors specialised on AML/CFT was held, where the attendees discussed the main findings of the Evaluation and the mechanisms to be implemented to implement the necessary structural improvements to the systems of investigation, prosecution and conviction of AML/CFT crimes.

Training for resident agents on Beneficial Ownership identification, verification and supervision in Panama
2023-03-27 - 2023-03-31 | Panama, Panama
Panama continues fight against money laundering, terrorist financing with EU Global Facility support
Panamá City, 5 March 2023 – The Superintendency of Non-Financial Entities (SSNF) and the EU Global Facility on Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) launched on Monday a three-day workshop on the topic of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing in Panama City.
This workshop seeks to build on the work already conducted by the Panamanian authorities (bank supervisors, FIU, prosecution service and law enforcement authorities, tax authorities, ministry of economy and finance, IT administration) on the topic of “Beneficial Ownership Registers as Competent Authorities”.
In the opening remarks, Héctor Alexander, Minister of Economy and Finance and President of the National Commission against Money Laundering, as well as President of the Boar of Directors of the SSNF, said that “The Registry of Beneficial Owners is already a fully operational system, and is based on 4 pillars, which are: the registry of resident agents, the inclusion of BO information in the system, the verification process and access to the information by the competent authority in a timely manner”; “The effective implementation of this registry is part of the actions we are taking in order to complete our Action Plan with FATF, and it is the responsibility and commitment of both the private sector and the government.”
Commending the work carried out by Panama so far, Izabela Matusz, the European Union Ambassador to Panama, underlined that “Today marks the 13th activity co-organised with the EU Global Facility in Panama, which demonstrates the strong collaboration with technical assistance providers and Panama’s dedication to strengthen its AML/CFT framework in order to better comply with the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations.”
Over the next three days, Beneficial Ownership experts from Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Malta are going to engage with the audience on the role that their BO Registry is playing in the beneficial ownership model of their jurisdiction, the challenges they have faced and the solutions they have implemented.
EU Global Facility Key Expert on Beneficial Ownership, Alexandre Taymans, commended the “successful work and important efforts put together by the SSNF and other Panamanian authorities since the first joint activity back in November 2021”. Topics included in the agenda cover legal and regulatory considerations, supervision and onsite inspection, data analytics and the role of IT systems, as well as interagency cooperation, among others.

Workshop on Regional Eastern Partnership and Europe AML/CFT Multi-stakeholder in Warsaw
2023-04-04 - 2023-04-05 | Poland, Poland
Today, we launch the 2nd in a series of Regional Consultations on the revisions of the Best Practices Paper on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 8 in Warsaw, #Poland ????????
Civil society representatives from 13 countries of the Regional Eastern Partnership and Europe will spend two days discussing the challenges and best practices in the implementation of this recommendation in the regions. Officials from MONEYVAL are also in attendance, along with representatives of the Polish authorities.
Following the first consultation in Buenos Aires last month, the EU Global Facility, in co-operation with the Global NPO Coalition on FATF and in co-ordination with the respective FSRBs will continue organising those regional NPO consultations around the world, with sessions scheduled to take place in
???? Amman (Middleeast and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) region)
???? Cape-Town (esaamlg org, GABAC and GIABA regions)
???? South-East Asia (APG region)

Completion of the NPO Sectoral Risk Assessment in the Seychelles
2023-04-12 | The Seychelles, Seychelles
Kick off of the NPO Sectoral Risk Assessment Validation Workshop in Victoria, Seychelles today.
The EU Global Facility, in co-operation with the FIU of the Seychelles, brought together some 100 participants from the authorities and regulators, the private sector and the NPO field to this important milestone.
The inherent risk report has been elaborated over the past months by the authorities of the Seychelles, with continuous support from the EU Global Facility experts.
It is expected to ensure better compliance of the partner country with the requirements of the FATF Recommendation 8 on NPOs.
During this event, participants will also discuss policy frameworks and guidelines to support improved compliance with the FATF Recommendation 8, as well as the forthcoming capacity building programme and outreach activities to be co-organised with the EU GF.
???? The EU Global Facility’s technical assistance to the Seychelles began in the fall of 2022. It has covered topics related to NPOs, Beneficial Ownership, the Justice sector and the Regulation/FIU field.

E-training on FATF Recommendation 8 for Zambia
2023-04-12 - 2023-04-14 | Zambia, Zambia
With the support launched by the EU GF to the Zambian authorities in the preparation of their NPO Sectoral Risk Assessment, the EU GF experts shall train the authorities but also local experts to be engaged in the data gathering exercise, in the methodology and practical aspect on how to conduct the data collection process.
