AML/CFT Awareness Raising Workshop, January 2020, Marshall Islands
The UFA secretariat delivered a national AML/CFT awareness raising workshop with the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) on 29-31 January 2020, targeting government agencies and the private sector.
The first two days of the workshop brought together delegates from the Banking Commission, Attorney General, Police, Ministry of Finance, Banking and Postal Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Auditor General, Immigration, Marine Resource Authority, and the Trust Company of the Marshall Islands.
The sessions focused primarily on the FATF standards and the importance of understanding ML/TF risk as the basis for implementing AML/CFT measures, as well as an overview of the Mutual Evaluation process. RMI will undergo its third round AML/CFT assessment in the second quarter of 2020.
The third day of the workshop included discussions with private sector representatives from banks, money remitters, insurance, lawyers, accountants, and non-profit organisations.
During the visit to RMI, UFA secretariat also met separately with President David Kabua, the Minister of Finance, Banking and Postal Services Mr Alfred Alfred, Jr., and the Banking Commissioner Mr Sultan Korean. Separate meetings also occurred with Senators from Parliament. The meetings were an opportunity to highlight the importance of high-level commitment to AML/CFT issues and the Mutual Evaluation process in order to promote reform and drive progress.
The visit was funded by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Chinese Taipei. The secretariat thanks these UFA members for providing funding for the workshop, and the contributions from all RMI participants.