UNODC and SFIS hold seminar on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism in Kyrgyzstan

Some 21 staff of law enforcement agencies of Osh city and 24 representatives of the private sector were familiarized with working legislation on anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism (AML / CFT) in the country.

“The State Financial Intelligence Service of the Kyrgyz Republic pays special attention to inter-agency cooperation in the fight against money laundering and terrorism, and extremism financing. Not only the promptness of the information provided by the SFIS plays a decisive role in disclosing criminal schemes, but also the correctness of the preparation of special requests from law enforcement agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic is important.  These specialized seminars will subsequently be the main platform for the exchange of experience and information between the analytical services of the SFIS and the structural units of law enforcement agencies”, said Mr. Gulamjan Anarbayev, Chairperson of the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.

According to Mr. Andrey Seleznev, Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic: “Development of an effective system of fighting the money laundering and terrorism financing is an integral part of the country's economic and social stability and the integrity of its financial system. Close cooperation and coordinated actions of all involved structures are needed”.

He also highlighted that the seminar was conducted as part of the new UNODC project on capacity building of SFIS for effective identifying and recovering the proceeds of crime in Kyrgyzstan: “New project will facilitate the reduction of illicit financial flows, improvement of the national legal framework, strengthen international and inter-agency cooperation in countering illicit drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime, as well as enhancing the professional skills of law enforcement officers in AML / CFT”.

In addition to studying the regulatory legal acts and international AML / CFT standards, the programme of seminar also included an introduction to real financial investigations, as well as practical work to identify those involved inmoney laundering and financing terrorism. The workshop provided participants with an opportunity to develop their skills and enhance professional qualifications, as well as to learn more about the possibilities of cooperation at the national and international levels. The participants of the seminar emphasized that this event became a platform for exchanging views on the problems of countering money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.

UNODC is the only UN Agency which fully supports the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in achieving Sustainable Development Goal #16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, access to justice for all and create effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is the guardian of UN convention against Transnational Organized Crime, supports UN Convention against Corruption and acts in line with the Global UNODC Programme Against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and Financing of Terrorism (GPML).

The event was conducted with the financial support from the U.S. State Department Bureau of  International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) as part of UNODC Sub-Programme 1 “Combating transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and preventing terrorism» of the UNODC Program for Central Asia 2015-2019.