Strengthening global response to financial crime-GIABA, FATT to hold joint experts’ meeting in Accra

By Samuel Asamoah, 

Ghana will from November 4 to 6, 2025, host the Joint Experts’ Meeting (JEM) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), bringing together global anti-financial crime experts to deliberate on emerging threats and collaborative strategies in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

Supported by the Government of the Republic of Ghana, the high-level meeting will be held in Accra, attracting about 250 delegates from FATF member countries, FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs), international organizations, and the private sector.

The Joint Experts’ Meeting is one of the FATF Global Network’s most strategic annual platforms for operational engagement. It provides a rare opportunity for frontline practitioners, investigators, regulators, and policymakers to exchange real-world experiences, innovative tools, and policy insights on the complex and evolving landscape of global financial crimes.

According to organizers, the 2025 JEM will advance the shared objectives of enhancing global cooperation and improving the effectiveness of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures across jurisdictions.

“The Joint Experts’ Meeting plays a pivotal role in strengthening the FATF Global Network’s collective response to new and emerging typologies of financial crime,” a joint statement from FATF and GIABA noted. “It ensures that the insights of practitioners inform strategic decisions, promote consistency in the application of international standards, and sustain innovation in the global AML/CFT system.”

This year’s meeting will focus on several key areas critical to reinforcing the global AML/CFT architecture. These include deepening understanding of emerging threats in money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing; enhancing regional and international cooperation among governments and regulatory institutions; fostering strategic partnerships with the private sector and relevant stakeholders; promoting the exchange of operational best practices to strengthen enforcement and compliance systems; providing expert input to support FATF and GIABA’s policy and typologies work; initiating structured engagement with the private sector to address region-specific risks; and identifying opportunities for targeted technical assistance and capacity building.

The inclusion of private sector representatives reflects a growing recognition that financial institutions, fintech companies, and designated non-financial businesses play an essential role in preventing and detecting illicit financial flows.

At the end of the three-day meeting, delegates are expected to produce actionable outcomes that will shape both global and regional responses to financial crime. Key expected results include operational insights to inform FATF and GIABA work programmes, stronger coordination and cooperation mechanisms between regional and global AML/CFT bodies, better understanding of emerging risks and typologies across jurisdictions, identification of good practices and shared challenges to guide technical assistance priorities, a strengthened framework for public-private sector collaboration, and expanded professional networks among AML/CFT practitioners across continents.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), headquartered in Paris, is the global standard-setting body for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. It provides policy direction, develops guidance, and monitors compliance among its member states and regional affiliates.

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), a specialized ECOWAS institution headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, serves as the FATF-Style Regional Body (FSRB) for West Africa. GIABA assists member states in building robust AML/CFT systems through mutual evaluations, technical support, and strategic partnerships.

The collaboration between FATF and GIABA underlines the importance of regional perspectives in addressing global threats, especially as illicit financial flows increasingly exploit cross-border digital, trade, and investment systems.

Hosting the 2025 JEM underscores Ghana’s growing leadership role in promoting financial transparency and compliance with international AML/CFT standards. The government’s support for the meeting aligns with ongoing national efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance inter-agency coordination, and fortify Ghana’s resilience against financial crime.

Officials from the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana, and Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) are expected to join the deliberations, alongside representatives from international institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Joint Experts’ Meeting is expected to end on November 6, with the adoption of key operational recommendations that will contribute to the FATF’s strategic priorities for 2026 and reinforce GIABA’s regional initiatives toward building resilient, transparent, and accountable financial systems across West Africa and the broader global network.