Budapest Conference: a Global AML-CTF Workshop for Enhanced Engagement between Customs Authorities and Financial Intelligence Units

START DATE 12 octubre 2022
END DATE 13 octubre 2022
LOCATION Budapest, Hungary and online

Description

State date: 12 October 2022

End date: 13 October 2022

Location: Budapest, Hungary and online

Languages: English, French, Spanish


The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) will be hosting the Budapest Conference in Budapest, Hungary on the 12th and 13th of October 2022 in an effort to showcase the increased efforts of the two organizations, and their Customs and FIU memberships.

In 2018, the WCO created its Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing (AML-CTF) Programme, under the Compliance and Enforcement Sub directorate, and initiated an effort of close collaboration with the Egmont Group. This involved the delivery of joint training workshops in the AML-CTF arena to Customs Services, FIUs and police services, and the creation of two very important tools for the WCO and Egmont Group memberships: the Customs FIU-Cooperation Handbook (CFCH) and the Financial Intelligence Compendium. The WCO and the Egmont Group conceptualized and designed the CFCH to serve as reference guide for Customs Services and FIUs when it comes to Customs-centric money laundering. The Financial Intelligence Compendium was designed to provide analytical training in the areas of the suspicious transaction reporting for FIUs and in the trade documentation area for Customs Services.

The Conference will produce a joint communique from the WCO and the Egmont Group that will outline important reasons for all Customs Services and FIUs to closely collaborate as an element to protect both civil society and the financial and international trade industries. The Secretary General of the WCO, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, will give the keynote speech, and the Chair of the Egmont Group, Ms. Xolisile Khanyile, will also give the opening remarks. The Conference will organize multiple anti-money laundering sessions that touch upon the Customs arena, to include: bulk cash smuggling; terrorism financing; e-currency; Trade-based money laundering; and money laundering via environmental and human trafficking/human smuggling.