Members & Observers

H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for Timor-Leste, Mr. José Luís Guterres, officially opened an international conference on AML/CFT issues held in Dili, Timor-Leste from 10 to 14 March 2014.

The conference was organised by Timor-Leste’s recently established National Commission for the implementation of AML/CFT measures, and focused on a number of issues identified as priorities by officials, including FATF Recommendation 6 (targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism and terrorist financing), FATF Recommendation 8 (non-profit organisations), best practices for asset seizure, management and international cooperation, and development of a national AML/CFT strategy.  The one day conference was well attended by representatives of the public and private sector, and was formally closed by H.E. Minister of Justice, Mr. Dionísio Babo Soares.

The conference was followed by three and a half days of intensive working sessions which discussed each issue in detail, including priorities for future work.  The conference and working sessions were facilitated by an UFA team comprising Sué Takasu, Senior Legal Officer, United Nations Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), José Carapinha, Legal Counsel, Financial Intelligence Office, Macao,China and Eliot Kennedy, Assistant Secretary, UFA Secretariat.

Photo: UFA delegation and Timorese officials

L to R: João Braz (MNEC – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation), Evaristo dos Santos (BCTL – Central Bank), Francisco do Nascimento (PNTL – Police), António Gil (MNEC), Sué Takasu (UNCTED), Eliot Kennedy (UFA Secretariat), Maria José Sarmento (BCTL), José Carapinha (FIU Macao), João Azevedo (Office of Vice-Prime Minister), Augusto Castro (CAC – Anti-Corruption Commissions), Abdullah Sagran (BCTL), Manuel Tavares (PNTL), Honório Magalhães (Ministry of Justice)