By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Monrovia – The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) is set to convene its 44th Technical Commission and Plenary Meetings in Monrovia from November 17 to 21, 2025.
It will bring together key stakeholders from across the sub-region to strengthen the collective fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
Meeting twice annually, the GIABA plenary serves as a major platform for member states and technical experts to exchange knowledge, evaluate progress, and harmonize strategies to curb economic and financial crimes across West Africa.
According to GIABA, discussions in Monrovia will focus on the Follow-Up Reports (FURs) from the second round of mutual evaluations for several member states, including Mali, Niger, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
The evaluations assess how effectively countries are implementing measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, while identifying gaps that require policy or operational adjustments.
In addition, participants will deliberate on reports from the Working Group on Risks, Trends, and Methods (RTMG) and the Policy Review Group (PRG), particularly updates to the typology of money laundering and terrorist financing risks linked to trade across GIABA member states.
The meeting will also consider the adoption of a new Operational Manual for national Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and Central Information Centers (CICs).
Other key events on the agenda include a closed-door Regional Forum of Financial Intelligence Units, a special session led by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNCCT), the election of the bureau of the Technical Commission, and the presentation of the Director General’s activity report.
The official opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, 2025, with the President of the Republic of Liberia invited to formally declare the session open.
The Monrovia meetings will also coincide with GIABA’s 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) celebration on November 21, marking a quarter century since its creation by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in December 2000 as West Africa’s institutional response to money laundering and terrorist financing.
GIABA says the anniversary will not only celebrate its achievements but also provide an opportunity to reflect on its evolving mission in tackling the emerging threats of money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing in the sub-region.
