The APG meets on a regular basis, generally twice each year. The APG's two regular meetings are:
The APG also convenes Working Groups from time to time to examine specific issues of importance to the APG membership. For instance, the Implementation Issues Working Group meets on an as-required basis to identify stumbling blocks to effective implementation of the global AML/CFT standards and to devise strategies to overcome those impediments. There is a separate tab with information on this Working Group under the "Implementation Issues" button at the top of this page.
Annual Meetings
The APG's Terms of Reference provide that the APG will meet at least once each year. In practice, due mainly to cost considerations, the APG has held plenary meetings (general meetings of all members) only once a year since its inception. Meetings are usually held at the same time each year (middle of the calendar year) and are attended by senior officials from member and observer jurisdictions as well as observer organisations.
The purpose of annual meetings is to discuss the APG's strategic directions and work program. Discussions cover issues such as:
Invitations to Annual Meetings may be extended to other non-member jurisdictions and organisations to attend as observers. Meetings are generally open to observers, however some parts of a meeting may be limited to members only to enable the APG to conduct formal consideration of issues which are confidential and require the agreement of its members.
The Terms of Reference also state that to ensure a global approach to anti-money laundering, members of the APG will work closely with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF Secretariat attends APG meetings on the same basis that the APG Secretariat attends FATF meetings.
Eleven annual meetings have been held since the APG's formation:
Summaries of those meetings can be found in APG Annual Reports under "APG Documents" on this website.
The Twelfth APG Annual Meeting will be held in Brisbane, Australia in July 2009. More information about this meeting will be found at the homepage under "events" closer to this time of this meeting.
APG Typologies Workshops
In order to effectively combat money laundering and terrorist financing, governments, law makers, officials and the private sector need to understand and keep pace with the various and evolving methods used to launder money and to finance terrorism.
Yearly typologies workshops are held by the APG to bring together experts and APG delegates to discuss money laundering and terrorist financing trends as well as policy issues emerging from those trends. These workshops generally have topical 'themes' to provide a focus for the discussion and have five main purposes - to:
Ten APG Typologies Workshops have been held since the APG's formation in 1997:
Summary reports of these typologies workshops are located under "APG Documents" on the website and can also be found in APG annual reports.
The next Typologies Workshop will be held in Columbo, Sri Lanka in November 2008.