Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa publishes operational manual for national AML CFT CPF coordination committees

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa has published an operational manual for the Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism, and Countering Proliferation Financing inter-ministerial and national coordination committees in its member states. The manual is designed as a practical framework for how these committees should be established, governed and operated so they can coordinate whole-of-government responses to money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing in line with Financial Action Task Force standards, particularly the risk-based approach and national cooperation requirements. The guidance covers the legal basis, mandate, membership and governance of the committees, and sets out operational expectations such as regular meetings, consensus-based decision-making, documentation, evaluation metrics and annual reporting. It places the committees at the center of national risk assessments, implementation of mutual evaluation recommendations, interagency information sharing, policy development and engagement with private sector and civil society stakeholders. The manual also addresses public-private partnerships, regional integration with GIABA processes, use of digital tools, resource and capacity constraints, and emerging risks including virtual assets, cross-border illicit flows and trade-based money laundering.