Назад Georgian currency exchange bureaus trained to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorism financing in their daily business

Georgian currency exchange bureaus trained to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorism financing in their daily business

The Council of Europe in cooperation with the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia (FMS - Financial Intelligence Unit of Georgia) organised a two-day online training on “Anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance for currency exchange bureaus”.  In addition to the private sector representatives, participants in the meeting also included representatives of the FMS and the National Bank of Georgia, as the supervisory/regulatory institution of the currency exchange sector, and the Association of Currency Exchange Bureaus of Georgia.

The activity raised the awareness of currency exchange bureaus on financial crime and current AML/CFT requirements, including the Risk Based Approach (RBA), measures for identification and verification of customers, indicators for suspicious activities and reporting suspicions to the FMS.

During the meeting, participants discussed the impact of financial crime and global efforts against it, AML/CFT international standards and best practices, measures for ensuring AML/CFT compliance by currency exchange bureaus, and case studies from the experience of Bulgaria and other countries tailored to the Georgian context. The FMS representative analysed the Georgian AML/CFT legal framework adopted in 2019, as well as the money laundering/financing of terrorism risks to which currency exchange bureaus are exposed.

Interactive presentations were accompanied by the work in small groups for identifying financial crime risks in Georgia and measures for addressing the financial crime. The results of group discussions were shared and analysed with other participants and Council of Europe experts.

This training is part of a series of activities designed to support more effective and efficient compliance of Georgian financial institutions with international AML/CFT requirements.

The activity was organised in the framework of the project “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II.

Georgia 3-4 June 2021
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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