FATF workshop on the role of judges and prosecutors in tackling money laundering and terrorist financing in Europe

President’s summary of outcomes from the FATF workshop on anti-money laundering (AML)/ countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) for judges and prosecutors: experiences, challenges and best practices with the collaboration of MONEYVAL and the OSCE.

Strasbourg, 27 March 2018 - The FATF, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) jointly organised a workshop for judges and prosecutors that focused on their experiences, challenges and best practices in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing and confiscating criminal proceeds. MONEYVAL hosted the event in Strasbourg from 26 to 27 March 2018.

Approximately 100 delegates representing 43 delegations, including anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing expert prosecutors, investigative and trial judges participated in the workshop. These practitioners shared their experiences of the challenges they face during the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and terrorist financing offences and the confiscation of proceeds linked with crime or terror. They also shared examples of how to overcome these challenges and discussed effective mechanisms and good practices.

FATF President, Santiago Otamendi, the Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, Christos Giakoumopoulos, the MONEYVAL President, Daniel Thelesklaf and the Co-ordinator of OSCE Activities to address Transational Threats, Rasa Ostrauskaite, opened the event and in their remarks highlighted the importance of the event.

The , Mr. Santiago Otamendi, and the President of MONEYVAL, Mr. Daniel Thelesklaf jointly chaired the workshop. The workshop consisted in three sessions which covered the contents established for the exercise: challenges and good practices in (1) investigating and prosecuting Money Laundering and (2) Terrorist Financing cases, and (3) seizing and confiscating criminal proceeds and instrumentalities.

In each of the sessions, several panellist experts made short presentations, followed by open discussion where participants shared expert opinions.

FATF Presidency priority and future events

The work of judges and prosecutors is crucial to consolidating stable and effective institutions, integrity, transparency and the rule of law, which are all pillars of an effective anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing system.The Argentine Presidency of the FATF therefore initiated a global outreach programme to the prosecutorial services and criminal justice systems.

This initiative aims to learn about their experience, challenges and best practices in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing, and in confiscating proceeds of crime.

The FATF is bringing together judges and prosecutors from all around the world in a series of regional workshops. Successful workshops were held in Ecuador in September 2017, in China in January 2018, in Tunisia in February and now in Strasbourg, France.

These workshops are gathering experiences from practitioners on the challenges and difficulties they face while investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing. This will contribute to improve the effectiveness in fighting money laundering and terrorist financing. The FATF Presidency will publish a report in June 2018 on the outcomes of this initiative with a focus on the factors that can result in a more effective system for prosecution and confiscation.