Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: – The United Arab Emirates Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (EO AMLCTF) and Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) announce that the UAE will host for the first time the 2024 APG Annual Meeting and Technical Assistance & Training Forum, taking place in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Emirate at the Emirates Palace between 22-27 September 2024.

The APG is the largest FATF-Style Regional Body (FSRB) and its Annual Meeting is set to host a gathering of over 400 distinguished officials and experts to address critical global concerns surrounding the crimes and risks associated with money laundering and terrorism financing.

Commenting on the announcement of the hosting, HE Hamid AlZaabi, Director General of the EOAMLCTF, remarked that the UAE looks forward to extending a warm welcome to participants. He added, “The UAE has established itself as a global forum for international events and hosting the annual meeting of Asia-Pacific Group is a testament to our country’s continuous commitment and strategy for fostering constructive communication with international partners. The hosting of this important meeting also enhances the approach taken by the UAE for international cooperation and coordination to mitigate the risks associated with money laundering and terrorism financing crimes. The EO AMLCTF, in cooperation with all our esteemed partners, continues to strengthen the UAE’s national AML/CFT system. We look forward to hosting all the national delegations in Abu Dhabi this September”.

APG Co-Chairs Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney and Assistant Deputy Minister Julien Brazeau jointly said,

“The APG Annual Meeting is an important occasion for members and observers to discuss strategic issues and we look forward to the 2024 meeting being hosted by the UAE as one of our newest observer jurisdictions. We welcome the opportunity to meet our delegates in person to discuss and adopt important mutual evaluation reports, achieve other key business outcomes, and to conduct the technical assistance and training forum in parallel to discuss members’ priority technical assistance needs with donors.”

The agenda for the annual meeting will commence with a number of APG committee meetings and working groups from 22-23 September, followed by a four-day plenary from 24-27 September co-chaired by Australia and Canada.

Mutual evaluation reports for Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the joint FATF/APG/EAG mutual evaluation report of India will be reviewed and considered for adoption during the week. The APG will also take governance and organizational decisions on the future of the group and review significant projects taking place in 2024 and beyond.

The agenda also includes reviews of the FATF’s strategic direction for the next round of evaluations, with a focus on understanding its implications for the business of the APG. Alongside the four-day plenary meeting, APG members will conduct technical assistance coordination for many APG member jurisdictions aiming to enhance their AML/CFT systems.

The APG consists of 42 member jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region, eight observer jurisdictions and 33 observer organizations. Notable among the observer organizations are the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, OECD, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN's Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate, Asian Development Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, INTERPOL and the Egmont Group.

In 2023, the UAE was granted official observer status at the APG and an Emirati delegation led by HE AlZaabi participated in the 2023 Annual Meeting held in Vancouver, Canada.

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About EO AMLCTF

The Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (EO AMLCTF) was established by UAE Cabinet decree in 2021 and is charged with overseeing the implementation of the National AML/CFT Strategy and the National Action Plan (NAP). The EO AML/CTF is the primary national coordinating body on AML/CFT efforts within the UAE and aims to enable and better equip the UAE in building a strong and sustainable AML/CFT structure. To achieve its objectives, the EO AMLCTF holds a wide-ranging mandate to assist AML/CFT related entities in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. Additional information can be found online at www.amlctf.gov.ae 

About the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering

The APG is an inter-governmental organisation, consisting of 42 member jurisdictions, focused on ensuring that its members effectively implement the international standards against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing (AML/CFT). Since its inception in 1997, the APG has worked closely with the international community including to form a global network committed to reducing serious financial crime, including terrorist financing and proliferation around the globe.

Comprehensive information on the APG is available from its website at www.apgml.org.

Please contact Ms. Aliya Almheiri: Aliya.Almheiri@amlctf.gov.ae / +971 26945622