OSCE supports training workshop on combatting money laundering and terrorist financing in Kazakhstan
ASTANA, 20 September 2017 – An OSCE-supported three-day workshop on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism began today in Astana.
Some 100 representatives of the financial sector, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) and non-profit organizations will be familiarized with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), money laundering/terrorism financing risks as well as measures to mitigate them.
OSCE-supported experts from Italy and Serbia shared international best practices on combating the abuse of non-profit organizations for financing of terrorism purposes and ways of identifying a beneficial owner (a natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted) as part of the customer due diligence procedure. The workshop combined both theoretical lectures and practical exercises to facilitate brainstorming on the existing and uprising challenges for the reporting entities under the AML/CFT monitoring framework.
Aidar Mekebekov, Deputy Head of the Financial Monitoring Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, discussed the importance of training as well as international and interagency co-operation in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. He said that Kazakhstan should work towards building more channels of communication for all stakeholders.
“Financial and non-financial sectors are particularly vulnerable to abuse by the criminals for money laundering the financing of terrorism, making a security concern in the OSCE region”, said Ambassador György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “In this respect, the OSCE should take an effort to help minimize the threat by increasing the awareness of risks and associated challenges and share the most up-to-date and effective measures to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.”
The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Financial Monitoring Committee of the Finance Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s multi-year efforts to promote good governance and combat money laundering and terrorist financing.