The OCWAR-M news | n°18 - The West African response to the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism

SPECIAL EDITION ON NATIONAL COORDINATION COMMITTEES

EDITO

This month, OCWAR-M presents a special edition on national anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) coordination committees!

These committees are essential structures for the formulation and implementation of effective AML/CFT policies, as well as for the coordination of all actors involved in the national AML/CFT system. For this reason, we decided to focus on them in this 18th edition of our newsletter.

COUNTRY OF THE MONTH: NIGERIA

In this interview with Mohammed Ahmed, Chief of Staff to the Director General of Nigeria’s Financial Intelligence Unit, discover the composition and functioning of Nigeria’s National Coordination Committee. Mr. Ahmed talks about the work of the NCC, the challenges it faces and the importance of the regional workshop jointly organized by OCWAR-M and GIABA.

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FEATURED: IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NATIONAL COORDINATION COMMITTEES

Strong national coordination is the key to effectively fight money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT/P). To enhance this coordination, the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and the OCWAR-M project are cooperating to support States in the operationalization of essential structures: the Inter-Ministerial Committees (IMCs) or National Coordination Committees (NCCs). From October 31 to November 2, 2022, GIABA and OCWAR-M gathered member states in Saly for a regional workshop on the roles and responsibilities of these committees.

This workshop is in line with the FATF recommendations, which, as Mr. Edwin Harris Jr, GIABA’s Director General, recalled at the opening of the workshop, “require an authority to have a clear understanding of the ML/TF/P risks for policy direction“. However, according to Mr. Harris, “it is without doubt that the NCCs as established in the member States are not fully playing their role of coordinating all AML/CFT&P measures.”

To address these shortcomings, GIABA and OCWAR-M brought together more than 80 participants – GIABA National Correspondents, NCC Chairs and members, including three Deputy Ministers, and members of the GIABA Secretariat – for three days to discuss the practices of West African NCCs.

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EXPERT’S PORTRAIT: STELLA ATTAKPAH

In this issue, we feature a portrait of Stella Attakpah, the consultant who carried out the diagnosis of the National Coordinating Committees (NCCs) commissioned to OCWAR-M by GIABA. Ms. Attakpah tells us about her background and the work done on NCCs in the West African region.

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