Director-General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m pleased to join you at this side event on combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
I’m especially glad to welcome back to Vienna Ms. De Anda Madrazo, President of FATF, whose partnership we greatly value.
I know you have a very busy schedule this week, so we are grateful that you made time to be with us today.
I would also like to welcome Mr. Cyril Gout, Executive Director for Police Services at INTERPOL, another important partner for UNODC.
This session of the CCPCJ comes at an important time in the crime prevention calendar, with just one year to go before the 2026 UN Crime Congress.
Today’s event is therefore a timely opportunity to push the fight against illicit finance high on the international agenda.
Because this is not a peripheral issue, and it must be at the heart of our efforts to uphold the rule of law and build safer, more resilient societies.
Criminal finance fuels terrorism and nearly every form of organized crime, from drug trafficking and corruption to cybercrime, human trafficking, and more.
In doing so, it threatens peace and security, undermines economic growth, and destabilizes the safety and integrity of the global financial system.
And criminals are exploiting vulnerabilities to move dirty money faster, in larger amounts, and often in plain sight.
Yet, the financial aspect of serious crimes is too often considered secondary in investigations and prosecutions, depriving us of a valuable opportunity to prevent transnational organized crime and terrorism.
To address this, we must strengthen capacities, increase international cooperation, and hold enablers accountable.
By following the money, through targeted financial investigations and closer partnerships with banks and financial institutions.
By disrupting cross-border networks that exploit gaps in financial regulations.
And by preventing the misuse of technology to launder money in ways that are harder to trace.
This requires strong legal frameworks and strong partnerships to implement them.
The UN Conventions against Transnational Organized Crime and Corruption, as well as the newly adopted Cybercrime treaty provide a solid foundation for international action and cooperation.
As the guardian of these conventions, UNODC is working with Member States to turn commitments into capability.
In 2024 alone, we provided technical assistance to over 6,000 practitioners in 88 countries to help them detect, investigate, and confiscate the proceeds of crime.
In Somalia, our support helped secure the country’s first-ever conviction for money laundering and terrorism financing.
And in the Sahel, we supported a joint operation with INTERPOL, which resulted in the seizure of 400 firearms, 4,000 rounds of ammunition, and close to half a million US dollars in undeclared currency.
These efforts demonstrate what we can achieve when we act together, combining our mandates, resources, and expertise to disrupt the criminal economies that fund violence and instability.
UNODC’s goAML platform has also proven to be a valuable tool in tracing, reporting, and disrupting illicit flows.
Today, it has over 350,000 users in 72 countries, with more than 1 billion transactions reported since its launch in 2007.
Alongside this, we have prioritized working with FATF to help countries advance their Mutual Evaluations, including the fifth cycle that is currently underway.
In this regard, we have re-oriented our technical assistance programme to align it with the enhanced FATF Recommendations for the fifth cycle.
This includes supporting countries that have agreed action plans with FATF.
For example, we are engaged with Kenya and the Philippines, both present here today, in meeting their national action plans and reinforcing financial integrity frameworks.
And later this year, FATF, UNODC, the Egmont Group and INTERPOL will launch a handbook to enable countries to strengthen international cooperation in financial investigations, prosecutions, and confiscations.
Excellencies,
At a time when global attention and funding are stretched, we must make the case for AML/CFT as a key pillar of financial integrity and global security.
The most effective way to achieve this is through strong partnerships.
We each bring unique advantages and tools to the table.
But to continue being effective, we need political will, especially from our donors and partners.
This requires commitments to be matched with resources, and words to be backed up by action.
That’s why, today, together with FATF and INTERPOL, we are launching a new call to action to push for stronger international cooperation in the lead-up to the 15th UN Crime Congress next year.
The Congress will be a crucial platform to shape long-term responses to financial crime as a cross-cutting issue.
We are especially grateful to the UAE for agreeing to host the Congress and for prioritizing AML/CFT.
With an extensive financial sector and global connections, the UAE is uniquely positioned to lead, convene, and build bridges between governments of all income levels, banks, and the private sector.
UNODC is actively working on the preparations for the Congress to ensure its success, and I encourage Member States to join our call to action.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The fight against illicit finance is about more than just safeguarding financial systems, it is about protecting our collective security and the rule of law.
Let’s continue to invest in effective partnerships, as we work to build a global financial system that ensures peace, prosperity, and stability for all.
Thank you.
