Africa-Press – Liberia. The Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Edwin W. Harris Jr., will lead a high-powered delegation to Liberia from August 11–13, 2025, to strengthen the country’s Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) efforts and prepare for the GIABA 44th Plenary and Technical Commission meeting in Monrovia later this year.
Liberia’s Second-Round Mutual Evaluation Report adopted in May 2023, placed the country under Enhanced Follow-Up after identifying strategic deficiencies in its AML/CFT/Counter-Proliferation Financing (CPF) regime. Since then, Liberia has taken key steps, including enacting the Control Drug and Substance Act (2023), adopting a national AML/CFT Action Plan (2024–2028), creating the Office of Asset Recovery, and joining the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.
According to a release, the November 17–21, 2025 Plenary will bring together global AML/CFT experts, with President Joseph Boakai and key ministers expected to address the opening session. Liberia last hosted the GIABA Plenary in May 2017.
The release further noted that during his visit, Harris will meet with President Boakai, relevant ministers, the Central Bank Governor, the Financial Intelligence Agency, and other stakeholders to discuss reforms needed ahead of Liberia’s third-round Mutual Evaluation Report in 2031. These include updating laws to align with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, expanding predicate offences, addressing terrorist financing risks, improving supervision of financial and non-financial entities, and enhancing data collection.
Hosting the Plenary, GIABA says, will not only boost Liberia’s global profile but also deliver economic benefits and strengthen the country’s position in the regional fight against financial crimes.
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