Africa-Press – Liberia. Held twice annually, the meetings bring together key stakeholders in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) to discuss emerging threats, challenges, and strategies across the sub-region./
The Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will host its 44th Technical Commission and Plenary Meetings in Monrovia from November 17–21, 2025.
Held twice annually, the meetings bring together key stakeholders in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) to discuss emerging threats, challenges, and strategies across the sub-region. The sessions also provide a platform for Member States to harmonize their approaches, address priority issues, and strengthen the implementation of AML/CFT measures. In addition, the plenary serves as a forum for experience-sharing and partnership-building among experts, representatives of Member States, technical partners, and observers.
In Monrovia, delegates will review Follow-Up Reports (FURs) from the second round of mutual evaluations for Mali, Niger, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The Mutual Evaluation and Monitoring Processes assess the effectiveness of Member States’ AML/CFT frameworks, including the enforcement of laws, regulations, and other measures required under international standards. These evaluations also help countries identify and address gaps in their systems to ensure compliance.
The meetings will also feature sessions of the Working Group on Risks, Trends and Methods (RTMG) and the Policy Review Group (PRG). Discussions will center on updating the typology report on money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing (ML/TF/PF) risks linked to trade within GIABA Member States, as well as adopting the Operational Manual for Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and Central Intelligence Cells (CICs).
Other key items on the agenda include a closed-door Regional Forum of Financial Intelligence Units (FFIUs), a special session led by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNCCT), the election of the Technical Commission’s Bureau, and presentation of the Director General’s activity report. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, 2025, where the President of Liberia is expected to officially declare the session open.
The meetings in Monrovia will also mark GIABA’s 25th anniversary, to be celebrated on November 21, 2025. Established in December 2000 by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, GIABA serves as West Africa’s institutional response to the growing threats of money laundering and terrorist financing. Over the past 25 years, the organization has recorded significant progress in strengthening mechanisms to combat economic and financial crimes across the region.
The silver jubilee celebration will reflect on GIABA’s achievements, evaluate its impact on strengthening AML/CFT/PF frameworks in West Africa, examine its evolving role within the global AML/CFT ecosystem, and inspire renewed commitment among staff and stakeholders in the fight against financial crimes.
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