The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa has published its 2026 Technical Assistance Guidance and Coordination Strategy, updating its 2022 and 2023 guidance and coordination plan for anti-money laundering, counterterrorist financing and proliferation financing support. The document aligns GIABA technical assistance more closely with the third round of mutual evaluations and sets out a common framework for how assistance is requested, prioritized, funded, delivered and monitored across member states. The strategy makes technical assistance demand-driven and tied to identified needs from technical assistance needs assessments, mutual evaluations or emerging risks. It prioritizes support for member states that have completed third round evaluations and developed key recommended action plans, states preparing for the third round with significant deficiencies from the second round, and emerging risks, with added emphasis on countries at high risk of entering the Financial Action Task Force International Cooperation Review Group process. The framework covers capacity building, consultancy and expert services, mentorship programs capped at six months, legal assistance, support for international cooperation including Egmont Group access, and technical equipment or direct financial support to address mutual evaluation deficiencies. It also sets boundaries, including a general rule that a member state should not receive more than one form of GIABA technical assistance in a year unless the support is regional or externally donor funded, and excludes items such as office buildings, non-AML equipment and operational involvement by GIABA staff in arrests, investigations or adjudication. The strategy also formalizes governance and coordination arrangements, including management oversight, use of donor and GIABA funding, quality control over external experts, and results-based monitoring and evaluation. Written requests and formal agreements remain the basis for assistance, and technical assistance activities are subject to annual review and reporting.
Inter Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA)2026-01-01
Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa updates technical assistance strategy around third round mutual evaluations and risk based prioritization
GIABA has issued a 2026 strategy updating how it provides and coordinates AML, CFT and proliferation financing technical assistance. The framework ties support more closely to third round mutual evaluations, uses risk based prioritization, and defines the main delivery tools, eligibility rules and exclusions. It also formalizes governance, donor coordination and results-based monitoring.