Technical Assistance & Training

A meeting of the Pacific AML/CFT Supervisors’ Forum was held on 30 May to 1 June 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. The Forum was organised by the APG, the Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and co-funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Finance, Japan.

The Forum brought together 47 AML/CFT supervisors and practitioners from nine of the APG’s Pacific members, as well as delegates from Australia and New Zealand. The participants discussed AML/CFT supervisory trends and developments in the Pacific region, including:

• Risk-based approach to AML/CFT supervision;
• Best practices and challenges in supervising financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs);
• Correspondent banking and de-risking in the Pacific region;
• Virtual assets and virtual asset service providers and their AML/CFT supervision; and
• Technical assistance and training needs in the Pacific region.

Private sector participants operating in the region participated on the third day of the Forum, offering their perspectives on regional trends and AML/CFT compliance and supervision.