Workshop on combating money laundering and terrorism financing held in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, 3 October 2002 - The second of a series of national workshops aiming at implementing the OSCE Action Programme on terrorism was held yesterday and today in Astana, Kazakhstan, following a similar workshop earlier this week in Bishkek, Kyrgystan, co-organized by the OSCE, the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UN ODCCP) and the respective governments.

In his opening address to the second event, known as the 'National Workshop on Combating Money Laundering and Suppressing Financing of Terrorism'", the Kazakh Deputy Chairman of the Committee on National Security, Baurzhan Eleubaev, stressed the importance of a national law against money laundering. He also made reference to the UN recommendation to adopt national laws on money laundering by the year 2003.

The OSCE's own Action Programme on terrorism was endorsed by the Bishkek Conference on Enhancing Security and Stability in Central Asia, co-organized with the UN ODCCP in December 2001

Participants in the series of workshops have discussed, under the guidance of the OSCE, UN ODCCP and experts from Austria, Canada, Croatia and the IMF, a number of issues aimed at combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. These include international instruments and institutions, national laws and financial intelligence units, economic developments and money laundering, crime trends and money laundering as well as international co-operation, including procedures for mutual legal assistance.

Yesterday and today, representatives from relevant national institutions of Kazakhstan, including the MFA, the Committee on National Security, the Ministry of Interior, the office of the General Prosecutor, the Agency on Financial Police, the Supreme Court and the Academy of Finance Police exchanged their experiences in legislative and technical aspects of the issue.

The participants of the workshop prepared a set of recommendations to assist with the development of corresponding legislation and administrative structures in Kazakhstan. The recommendations included a request to explore and use the potential of international organizations and other countries to provide assistance in these developments. The participants also expressed a wish to continue with similar initiatives on the issues discussed.