By: Joseph Kerkula
The Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), in collaboration with the Government of Liberia, has officially opened the 44th Technical Commission and Plenary Meeting, convening regional experts, policymakers, and financial intelligence professionals committed to combating money laundering and related financial crimes across West Africa.
The five-day gathering, taking place in Margibi County, is one of GIABA’s flagship annual events, providing a critical platform for evaluating member states’ progress in strengthening anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Mohammed Nasser, Officer-in-Charge of the Liberia Financial Intelligence Agency (LFIA) and GIABA Correspondent for Liberia, described GIABA as a “long standing pillar for coordination, knowledge sharing, and standard-setting within West Africa.”
He noted that the forum continues to enhance member states’ capacities to meet global AML/CFT standards aligned with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) framework.
According to Mr. Nasser, the 44th plenary presents a vital opportunity for countries toreview national and regional progress toward AML/CFT goals, Identify operational gaps and weaknesses, Strengthen information-sharing mechanisms and Improve risk assessment practices, Enhance supervision and evaluation systems in line with international standards.
He reaffirmed Liberia’s strong commitment to sustaining reforms aimed at improving its AML/CFT compliance rating and ensuring a resilient, transparent financial ecosystem.
Also addressing the ceremony, GIABA Director General, Mr. Edward W. Harris Jr., praised Liberia for its continued cooperation and leadership in advancing regional financial integrity.
Mr. Harris indicated that the hosting of the 44th plenary underscores Liberia’s progress in institution-building and its readiness to serve as a key partner in fighting illicit financial flows.
He has reaffirmed GIABA’s commitment to supporting member states through capacity building, technical assistance, and evaluation exercises designed to safeguard economic stability across the region.
For her part, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, ECOWAS Permanent Representative to Liberia, applauded national AML institutions and ECOWAS member states for their persistent efforts to confront money laundering and terrorist financing.
Ambassador Nkrumah emphasized that illicit financial activities increasingly transcend borders, making deeper regional cooperation indispensable.
She stressed that strengthened collaboration among ECOWAS countries remains central to addressing the evolving threats posed by transnational financial crimes.
