News

The 2024 APG Annual Meeting and Technical Assistance and Training (TA&T) Forum was attended by over 400 delegates from across the Asia/Pacific during the week of 23 September in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The meetings were generously hosted by the UAE National Committee for Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organisations (NAMLCFTC), and chaired by APG Co-Chairs, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance Julien Brazeau of Canada’s Department of Finance and Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney of the Australian Federal Police.

During the Annual Meeting, delegates discussed important issues and took critical decisions to strengthen collaboration, cooperation and overall effectiveness in combating serious financial crime, including money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.

• Members agreed on an open-ended mandate for the APG, reflecting its role in leading action in the Asia/Pacific region to counter money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The adoption of an open-ended mandate comes 27 years after the APG’s founding and recognises APG’s continuing decisive, co-ordinated and effective regional actions to address enduring threats.
• The APG adopted a new strategic plan for the period 2024-28, as well as Co-Chairs’ Priorities for the period 2024-2026.
• Four APG mutual evaluation reports were adopted:
  • the Marshall Islands
  • Nauru
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Timor-Leste
• APG members also adopted the joint FATF/APG/EAG mutual evaluation of India.
• The mutual evaluation follow-up reports for Nepal and Vietnam were adopted.
• The APG adopted procedures and an updated schedule for the APG 4th Round of Mutual Evaluations.
• APG members and observers benefited from a technical seminar delivered by the United Arab Emirates on its experience regulating virtual assets, implementing Public/Private Partnerships for AML/CFT; and its measures to ensure transparency of beneficial ownership of legal persons.
• APG commenced a program on supporting strategic AML/CFT leadership across the Asia/Pacific region, with a focus on engaging leadership to spearhead and sustain effective AML/CFT systems.
• The APG took important steps to increase resources to commence and complete the APG 4th Round of Mutual Evaluations.
• The APG established a Diversity and Inclusion Network to best support the regional AML/CFT workforce.
• The APG welcomed one observer organisation, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ).  The IIJ recently launched a significant program of technical assistance in the Asia/Pacific region.
• The APG removed one jurisdiction from its list of observers, the DPRK, due to a lack of engagement over a six-year period.
• Finally, the APG welcomed the Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mitsutoshi Kajikawa of Japan, as the new APG Co-Chair for 2024-2026.

The reports adopted in Abu Dhabi will be published in the coming months.

In parallel to the Annual Meeting, the APG convened its 22nd TA&T Forum.

• 25 TA recipient members and 19 Donors and Providers (DAPs) participated in the TA&T Forum, highlighting the increased volume of AML/CFT technical assistance activities occurring across the region.
• 29 meetings were convened as part of the TA&T Forum, including one closed five-hour session for Donors and Providers to discuss the coordination of technical assistance; three sub-regional meetings for members and Donors and Providers: Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia; and 25 individual team meetings between TA recipient members and Donors and Providers.
• The TA&T Forum provided a collaborative platform to ensure AML/CFT technical assistance in the Asia/Pacific region is coordinated, sequenced and synchronised.
• The TA&T Forum welcomed three new DAPs this year including the EU AML/CFT Global Facility, Germany’s Global Program Combating Illicit Financial Flows (GIZ) and Luxembourg’s Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA).
• Outcomes from the TA&T Forum included enhanced identification of priority needs, and agreements to deliver requested technical assistance during the next financial year.