20 July, 2010
APG Co-Chairs, Commissioner Tony Negus of Australia and Director Ong Hian Sun of Singapore, chaired the 13th Annual Meeting of the APG, including the 9th Annual Technical Assistance and Training Forum, in Singapore during the week of 12 – 16 July 2010 at the Suntec International Convention Centre. The Annual Meeting was attended by more than 300 delegates from over 40 APG members and over 30 international and regional organisations and observers.
A number of major achievements occurred during the week as follows:
- 5 mutual evaluation reports were adopted: India (jointly with FATF), New Zealand (jointly with FATF), Brunei Darussalam, Tonga and Solomon Islands (jointly with World Bank);
- The Technical Assistance and Training Forum was conducted during the week including a number of technical training seminars and a series of 25 meetings with individual APG members and donor organisations/jurisdictions;
- Amendments to improve the Strategic Implementation Planning Framework were adopted to assist low capacity APG members to effectively respond to recommendations made in mutual evaluation reports;
- Important amendments to the APG's mutual evaluation procedures were adopted to better reflect the APG's Associate Membership arrangements with the FATF. APG procedures, to a large extent, are now similar (but not identical) to FATF procedures and provide for regular and enhanced follow-up mechanisms not previously used;
- A new Business Plan for 2010-2011 was adopted containing a number of new APG initiatives for the upcoming year as well as a very busy schedule of technical training and assistance missions to priority members;
- The APG Implementation Issues Working Group agreed to undertake a joint APG/FATF project on financial inclusion, to be led by the APG, and to report back to the plenary in June 2011 with a project paper;
- Members closely considered the FATF initiative to respond to the G20 Leaders call in 2009 for a listing of high risk jurisdictions in relation to money laundering and terrorist financing, In light of this initiative and its impact on our membership, a Strategic Action Plan, to better coordinate efforts for APG members involved in the FATF’s International Cooperation Review Group, was adopted for a period of two years;
- The Federated States of Micronesia and the Russian Federation were formally acknowledged as new APG Observer jurisdictions;
- 3 FATF-Style regional bodies were also acknowledged as new Supporting Observers, namely:
- the Eurasian Group (EAG), based in Russia - EAG officials attended the Singapore Annual Meeting
- Eastern and South African Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), based in Tanzania, and
- Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), based in Senegal.
During the meeting, the achievements of Director Ong Hian Sun (the Singapore rotating Co-Chair from 2008 to 2010) were noted. Mr Ong is the Director of Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department. His appointment as APG Co-Chair in 2008 was completed at the conclusion of this year's Annual Meeting. Commissioner Tony Negus (permanent Australian Co-Chair) noted the important progress made by the APG during Mr Ong’s Co-chairmanship, including leading important high level missions; the expansion of the APG membership during his tenure to include the reactivation of the founding membership of the People’s Republic of China and the new membership of Papua New Guinea, as well as 5 new Observers (noted above); the establishment of a new training course for jurisdictions to be evaluated - recognised as a much-needed new initiative and adopted by other FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs); as well the adoption and improvement of the APG’s Strategic Implementation Planning (SIP) Framework developed jointly with the World Bank in 2008.
A new rotating Co-Chair (India) assumed the rotating Chair of the APG for the term 2010- 2012. Additional Secretary, Shri K Jose Cyriac, who supervises and coordinates all work related to India’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, the Directorate of Enforcement and the Indian FIU, will represent India as Co-Chair for the next two years and will host an Annual Meeting in Kochi, India in July 2011. Members also formally endorsed the APG Co-Chair for the term 2012-2014. The People’s Republic of China will Co-Chair the APG for that period and will host an Annual Meeting during its tenure.
As the APG moves into its next term, closer ties with the FATF, more focussed technical assistance and training activities using the SIP Framework, and establishing a list of high priority strategic initiatives after 2012 (in the next mandated term of the APG) are high on the agenda for the Australian and Indian Co-Chairs.