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| Participants and Facilitators |
In its communique, West Africa’s leading
anti-money laundering, terrorism financing agency, GIABA, urges journalists to
teamup with other
agencies involved in the same cause to stepup against financial crimes.
The
Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering and Terrorist
Financing, GIABA ,said both journalists and other agencies should collectively
ensure that appropriate measures are taken against the twin crimes in a more
harmonized and concerted manner.
In
the communiqué, the 30 journalists and media executives drawn from the
sub-regional economic bloc,
ECOWAS, recommended that media practitioners should
collaborate with organizations like Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - the
global standard-setter for measures to combat money laundering, terrorist and
proliferation financing; GIABA – an arm of ECOWAS established to fight money
laundering and terrorist financing in West Africa, and similar organizations at
national level.
This,
they said, will help to devise a common direction and means to articulate a
more concerted regional approach to the fight against money laundering and
financing of terrorism to put a stop to the amount of millions of dollars being
laundered yearly in West Africa.
In
doing this, GIABA also propose to journalists to be frequenting its website (www.giaba.org) and the FATF (http://www.fatf-gafi.org) in order to keep
themselves abreast with ML/CFT issues.
“Journalists
should undertake investigative work on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter
Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) issues and ask all critical questions from
authorities on suspicion of money laundering and financing of terrorism
activities,” the two-page communiqué stated. “Capacity building
activities such as this training workshop should be held frequently at national
levels to broaden journalists’ understanding on AML/CFT regimes.”
It
added that press organisations should have a permanent desk on financial
crimes, and a model of collaboration between GIABA and media organisations be
developed on reporting of AML/CFT efforts.
In a
more proactive language, it was also
recommended that journalists should familiarize themselves with all the 21
predicate offences for money laundering and terrorist financing, and uphold the
ethics and principles of journalism in all ramifications without fear or favour
towards achieving professionalism in order to safeguard the interest and work
of journalists.
“If the issues raised in this communiqué are
given serious attention by all governments in the sub-region; the prospects of
eliminating these evils from our societies will be enhanced,” the participants
said with firm conviction.
They
also expressed “sincere appreciation” to the management and staff of GIABA for
organizing the two-day interactive session, a programme dedicated to
strengthening capacity to fight the menace of money laundering and other
financial related crimes.
The
Interactive Session was purposely held to build the capacity of media
practitioners and acquaint them which regional initiatives on AML/CFT
framework, especially the mandate of GIABA in its sustained efforts at
combating ML/TF in West Africa.
It
also seeks to raise awareness on the ills of money laundering and terrorist
financing and the need to report on financial crimes, and to provide
documentation and research materials to assist journalists in their reporting.
The
training session, which provided an opportunity for the fruitful exchange of
ideas, set the stage for future fruitful collaboration between and among media
practitioners.
By Modou S. Joof
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