The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will hold its 44th Technical Commission and Plenary meetings from November 17 to 21, 2025, in Monrovia, Liberia.
Meeting twice a year, this major gathering of stakeholders in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) aims to promote discussions among technical experts from member states (MS) on the threats and challenges relating to the fight against economic and financial crimes in the sub-region. It also allows MS to address relevant issues that require a concerted and harmonized approach to the effective implementation of AML/CFT measures. Finally, as a platform for sharing experiences, the plenary sessions also provide opportunities to establish partnerships among experts, MS representatives, technical partners, and observers in the context of AML/CFT.
In Monrovia, discussions will focus on the Follow-Up Reports (FURs) of the second round of mutual evaluations of member states, including Mali, Niger, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The Mutual Evaluation and Monitoring Processes and Procedures aim to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the laws, regulations, or other measures required by the core criteria. These mutual evaluations also make it possible to verify whether all necessary measures have been fully and adequately implemented. They also aim to help member states address gaps identified in their AML/CFT systems, in order to ensure compliance with international standards.
In Monrovia, there will also be discussions on the meeting of the Working Group on Risks, Trends and Methods (RTMG) and the Policy Review Group (PRG). The focus will be on updating the report on the typology of money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing (ML/TF/PF) risks related to trade in GIABA member states, as well as on adopting the Operational Manual for member states’ FIUs/CICs.
Also, on the agenda for the 44th Technical Commission and Plenary Meeting, there is the closed-door Regional Forum of Financial Intelligence Units (FFIUs), a special session led by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), the election of the bureau of the presidency of the Technical Commission, the Director General’s summary activity report, etc. The opening ceremony of the meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, 2025. The President of the Republic of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, is invited to declare the session opened.
The community institution’s silver jubilee (25th Anniversary) will be celebrated in Monrovia on November 21, 2025. Created by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in December 2000 as West Africa’s response to the harmful effects of money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF), GIABA has, since its creation, made significant progress in various aspects relating to mechanisms for combating economic and financial crimes in its member states.
Celebrating this milestone means celebrating its successes and achievements. It also means identifying its mission among the contemporary ML/TF/PF challenges facing the sub-region; it means assessing its impact in promoting a robust AML/CFT/PF mechanism in West Africa; it means examining its future roles in the global AML/CFT/PF ecosystem; and finally, it means motivating staff and other stakeholders in their efforts to combat economic and financial crime.
