The Council of Europe announced an informal conference in Strasbourg on 16 June that will bring together justice ministers from its 46 member states to address money laundering and terrorist financing. Held under Monaco’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the meeting will focus on strengthening judicial systems’ ability to respond to financial crime amid growing technological and cross-border risks. The Council of Europe framed the conference around the difficulty of tracing, prosecuting and confiscating illicit assets as criminal networks exploit globalisation, digitalisation and tools such as crypto-assets, decentralised finance, advanced digital payment systems and artificial intelligence. It pointed to Europol’s estimate that less than 2% of the proceeds of crime are effectively confiscated in Europe. The organisation highlighted its Warsaw Convention and a new additional protocol aimed at improving the recovery of criminal assets, while stressing that the main challenge is turning existing European and international standards into effective investigations, prosecutions, confiscations and stronger international co-operation. The conference will be opened by Monaco’s Secretary of State for Justice Samuel Vuelta Simon and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset. A declaration by the Presidency is due at the close of the conference.
Council of Europe2026-06-08
Council of Europe convenes justice ministers for 16 June conference on money laundering and terrorist financing
The Council of Europe announced a 16 June conference in Strasbourg for justice ministers from its 46 member states on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The meeting will focus on how globalisation and technologies such as crypto-assets and artificial intelligence are reshaping financial crime, and on improving investigations, prosecutions and asset confiscation. A Presidency declaration is to be issued after the conference.