MENAFATF

Manama - Kingdom of Bahrain

22 - 23 May 2024

This morning, Wednesday, 22 May 2024, the 38th Plenary meeting of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (“MENAFATF”) was launched, which will be held over two days in the city of Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Mr. Hani Muhammad Wahab, President of the MENAFATF, Deputy Minister of Finance – Republic of Yemen, Chairman of the National Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorist Financing. The meeting will witness the presence of experts on Anti-money laundering, combating terrorist financing, and combating the financing of proliferation from Member Countries, Observers countries and regional & international organizations concerned with Anti-money laundering, combating financing of terrorism, and combating financing of proliferation (“AML/CFT/CPF”).

  Within the framework of this gathering of experts, these meetings come as a real opportunity to strengthen and unify regional and international efforts led by the MENAFATF concerning AML/CFT/CPF and to protect the economic, social and political systems in the region from the risks of such crimes. The effectiveness of the AML/CFT/CPF systems, as well as the efforts and measures taken by all countries of the MENAFATF will be discussed. Also, the latest patterns and methods of money laundering at the regional and international levels will be discussed, in addition to exchanging experiences on the best ways to address such. The meeting will also discuss the MENAFATF’s efforts in capacity building and continuous development in the region.

It is worth noting that the Plenary meeting currently being held constituted by a number of meetings of the MENAFATF’s Working Groups during the period 19 - 21 May 2024 in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, which included the meeting of the Mutual Evaluation Working Group, the meeting of the Technical Assistance and Typologies Working Group, the Financial Intelligence Units Forum, the Risk Committee, and The Counter-Terrorism Experts Forum. Those meetings will result in reports that will be taken into consideration to issue actions and decisions in relation thereto.