UNODC jointly with USAID Governance Support Program (GSP) conducted  training on anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing for competent authorities of Turkmenistan 

On 26-28 July, UNODC, jointly with USAID Governance Support Program (GSP), conducted 3-day training for competent authorities of Turkmenistan (General Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Financial Monitoring Service, State Tax Service, State Customs Service, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Agency for the Protection of Economy from Risks, Ministry of Justice, Central Bank)  on combating money laundering and terrorism financing to strengthen their capacities and enhance inter-agency cooperation in line with advanced international practices.

The training course is based on international practice and standards of combating ML and FT, materials and examples that are typical for the country and the region. The program of the event includes consideration of the specifics of national and international AML / CFT legislation, the application of a risk-based approach, in determining national and sectoral ML / TF risks. Special attention was paid to international standards for conducting parallel financial investigations and the best international practices for investigating crimes related to money laundering, terrorist financing, confiscation, and management of criminal assets.

Mr. Dovran Halbayev, Chairman of the Financial Monitoring Service under the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan emphasized the importance of conducting capacity building activities on a regular basis to address the challenges and threats in the field of AML/CFT: “One of the key terms for the development of the national AML/CFT/PF system of Turkmenistan is the organization of seminars and trainings, professional development programs for specialists of national anti-money laundering systems. In 2021, with the support of the Government of Turkmenistan and international organizations, more than 33 trainings and seminars were held for representatives of relevant ministries and agencies, military and law enforcement bodies of the country, as well as the private sector. The Government of Turkmenistan is closely following the key AML/CFT/PF issues and existing challenges, including the existing international and regional systems to improve mechanisms for the prevention and suppression of violations related to ML/FT/PF based on international experience and in accordance with international standards. In connection with the above, I would like to thank UNODC for the fruitful cooperation in improving the AML/ CFT/PF system, as well as in carrying out activities aimed at building capacity of competent authorities in this area.”

Emphasizing the distinctiveness of the developed training course and it’s key objectives, aimed strengthening the capacities of, as well as enhancing the cooperation and coordination between the competent authorities of Turkmenistan, the UNODC Regional Advisor on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) Mr. Aliaksandr Vadziany noted: “We have developed a unique course based on the needs of our national partners. Our experts have developed unique materials and this integrated approach shall be the most effective in current context. We are very glad that today we have representatives of different entities sitting at the same table. This is a very competent approach to organizing such an event. It is very important to maintain this format from the first day to the last. We will talk a lot about the activities of financial intelligence, but at the same time we will talk a lot about the activities of law enforcement agencies in this context. We expect that this approach will increase and strengthen the country's potential in AML/CFT field.”

The main objectives of this event were to increase the level of knowledge of the competent authorities in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, to strengthen and develop interdepartmental cooperation. As a result of the training, the participants were given recommendations on how to improve the AML / CFT system in accordance with international standards.

The training course brought together 20 AML/CFT practitioners (including 3 women) from 9 entities of Turkmenistan.

Training course was organized with the financial support of the US Government and the USAID Governance Support Program (GSP) in particular.

 

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