The purpose of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) is to combat money laundering by implementing the FATF Recommendations. This effort includes co-ordinating with other international organisations concerned with combating money laundering, studying emerging regional typologies, developing institutional and human resource capacities to deal with these issues, and co-ordinating technical assistance where necessary. ESAAMLG enables regional factors to be taken into account in the implementation of anti-money laundering measures.
ESAAMLG was launched at a meeting of Ministers and high-level representatives in Arusha, Tanzania, on 26-27 August 1999. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) based on the experience of the FATF and other FATF-style regional bodies was agreed to at that meeting. Following the signature of the MoU by seven of the potential members, ESAAMLG came into formal existence. All members are Commonwealth countries which have committed to the FATF Forty Recommendations. The group held its first meeting on 17-19 April 2000 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Following the events of 11 September 2001, ESAAMLG expanded its scope to include the countering of terrorist financing.
ESAAMLG members participate in a self-assessment process to assess their progress in implementing the FATF Forty Recommendations. The ESAAMLG Secretariat is located in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
ESAAMLG became an Associate Member of the FATF in June 2010.
For more information, please see the ESAAMLG website at:
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