Back Contributing to the efforts of Georgian authorities to implement recommendations on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism through trainings for accountants and auditors

Contributing to the efforts of Georgian authorities to implement recommendations on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism through trainings for accountants and auditors

In co-operation with the Service for Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Supervision of Georgia (SARAS), two online trainings on “Anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance” on 27 and 29 April 2022.

The trainings contributed to the efforts by Georgian authorities in implementing MONEYVAL recommendations on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism.

A total of 160 accountants and auditors improved their knowledge in the field through these trainings, by identifying actionable approaches to mitigate professional challenges encountered. The trainings were designed for the needs of auditors and accountants and are part of a series of activities aiming to support the effective and efficient compliance of non-financial institutions with AML/CFT requirements.

Participants to the trainings discussed the applicable international AML/CFT standards with a focus on the sector-specific obligations. Particular topics of the exchanges between practitioners and the Council of Europe experts included:

  • the how-to of a Risk Based Approach (RBA) and Customer Due Diligence;
  • the role of auditors/accountants in establishing and advising companies;
  • the methods available for the identification of suspicious transactions;
  • and the relevance for co-operation between the supervising authority, the Financial Monitoring Service (FIU) and the reporting entities, and how to make that co-operation operative.

The recommendations for auditors and accountants included in the MONEYVAL 5th Round Evaluation Report of Georgia 2020, as well as by the National Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Risk Assessment of Georgia (2019) were part of the trainings, as they detail the money laundering and terrorism financing risks to which auditors and accountants are exposed to. Both framing documents were presented by a representative of the Georgian FIU, who took the opportunity to also clarify and discuss with participants the AML/CFT legal framework.

These trainings were 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 2019-2022.

Georgia 29 April 2022
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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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