The 22nd Technical Commission/Plenary Meeting Of GIABA Ends In Dakar, Senegal

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has successfully concluded its 22nd Technical Commission/Plenary (TC/P) meeting, held from 10th to 14th November, 2014 in Dakar, Senegal.

The Plenary was preceded by meetings of the Working Group on Mutual Evaluation and Implementation (WGMEI), Forum of Heads of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in West Africa and Technical Assistance Forum with Development Partners. These initial meetings were held between 10th and 12th of November, 2014.

In attendance were GIABA member States, observer institutions and countries, as well as Development Partners. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone were unable to attend due to travel conditions concerning countries mostly affected by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The Opening Session was addressed by Mr. Waly N'dour, the Head of the FIU and GIABA National Correspondent for Senegal; Mr, Adama Coulibaly, the Director General of GIABA and Mr. Abdoulaye Ba, representing the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Senegal. The meeting was declared open by Mr. Papa Ousmane Gueye, the representative of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Economy and Planning of Senegal.

Outcome of the meetings were:
a. adoption of the Follow-Up Reports of Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Niger;

b. signing of Financial Agreement with the European Union;

c. adoption of DG's summary activity report;
adoption of summary country report;
d. adoption of the Process and Procedures of GIABA for the conduct of the 2nd round of Mutual Evaluations of its MS scheduled to commence in 2016;

e. adoption of change of name of WGMEI to Evaluation and Compliance Group (ECG);

f. Adoption of exit process of GIABA MS from Follow-Up Programme within the 1st round of Mutual Evaluation. adoption of the report of the co-chairs of the Working Group on Risks, Threats and Methods (WGRTM);

g. adoption of a memorandum on support to member States for the conduct of Typologies

h. adoption of the report of the 22nd GIABA Technical Commission/Plenary