"Manavatev" It meets in Jordan to activate the group’s strategic plans

2025/01/07 4:45:25 PM

4 minutes read

Amman, 7 January / WAM / The leadership of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (MNAFATF) met in the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan – Amman, to activate the group’s strategic plans.

The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Samia Abu Sharif, Member of the National Committee to Combat Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Head of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Unit in Jordan, and Vice Chairman of the Group, His Excellency Hamid Saif Al Zaabi, Secretary-General and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee to Combat Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and the Financing of Illegal Organizations in the Emirates. In the presence of His Excellency Suleiman bin Rashid Al-Jibreen, Executive Secretary of the Group.

The group meeting was held to develop executive plans for their joint strategic priorities for the UAE and Jordanian presidency of the group, which were identified and approved by the 39th general meeting of the group in November 2024, based on the outstanding achievements achieved by the Yemeni presidency for the year 2024.

The common priorities of the presidency of the regional group will focus on enhancing the effectiveness of combating money laundering and terrorist financing throughout the Middle East and North Africa region.

The five priorities include strengthening the role of the MENA FATF in preparing and implementing the third round of the mutual evaluation process and supporting its member states that are about to undergo the evaluation process, in addition to strengthening the group’s governance system.

The priorities also include: Continue to support the group in implementing and completing the work plan for the FATF recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the group’s procedures and make them clearer and more targeted to achieve the recommendations, in addition to enhancing cooperation and communication and raising the level of coordination with international and regional partners and other regional bodies in line with the group’s strategic plan and its work plan.

The fifth joint priority of the Regional Group Chair includes; Strengthening efforts to implement international standards by identifying and understanding the risks, trends and methods of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.

Her Excellency Samia Abu Sharif will assume the position of Chairman of the Financial Action Task Force for the region for the year 2025, while His Excellency Hamid Saif Al Zaabi will serve as Vice Chairman at the same time, before assuming the presidency of the group in 2026.

On this occasion, Abu Sharif stressed that the joint priorities of the “Manavatf” presidency chart an ambitious path to enhance the strategic direction, the group’s vision, and its upcoming priorities, which would contribute to achieving the vision of the two countries over the course of their presidency for the years 2025 and 2026 in an effective and fruitful manner, and the continuity in implementing and achieving the goals in cooperation with all member states. International observers and regional counterpart groups around the world.

For his part, His Excellency Hamid Saif Al Zaabi said that the Middle East and North Africa region is witnessing remarkable development in enhancing its capabilities to combat financial crimes, stressing their determination to strengthen pioneering initiatives in this field.

He added that the UAE is proud of its active role in the Financial Action Task Force for the Middle East and North Africa region, as it is committed to its pivotal role in protecting the integrity of the global financial system, noting that the joint focus on these five strategic priorities ensures achieving tangible progress in confronting money laundering and terrorist financing, and contributes to In enhancing the security and stability of the region and the world.

His Excellency Suleiman bin Rashid Al-Jibreen expressed the importance of the joint initiative between the current presidency of the group, represented by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the next presidency of the group, represented by the United Arab Emirates, especially at this time, which coincides with the twenty-year anniversary of the establishment of the group, and the importance of adopting practices that support the group and the region to face challenges. Renewed efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing crimes by ensuring the implementation of medium-term strategic plans that serve the group, its goals, aspirations and efforts in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

Both the UAE and Jordan have demonstrated a long-term commitment to supporting and achieving the goals of the group that was established in 2004, as the group now includes 21 member states from the Middle East and North Africa and 18 observer members as international actors in the field of combating money laundering crimes, financing terrorism, and financing the proliferation of arms.

All members work to enhance the implementation of the recommendations and standards of the Financial Action Task Force to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the financing of proliferation, and to raise the level of compliance with those international recommendations and standards.

In this context, the UAE and Jordan aim to enhance the group’s contribution to global financial integrity and enhance regional efforts to reduce the risks of financial crimes.