An international forum “Financial monitoring 2023” organized by the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine and the Academy of Financial Monitoring with the support of the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, the Council of Europe, and the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI) is being held in Ternopil, Ukraine, from 7 to 8 December 2023.

The forum was opened by honoured guests, including Chair of MONEYVAL, who at the same time is Interim Chair of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, Mrs. Elżbieta Franków-Jaśkiewicz, President of the Conference of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime and on the financing of terrorism (COP CETS 198) Ms. Oxana Gîscă, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ms. Оlha Stefanishyna, First Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine Mr. Denys Uliutin, Head of the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI) Mr. Allan Pagh Kristensen, Team leader of the EU AML/CFT Global Facility Mr. David Hotte, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Mr. Maciej Janczak and Associate Coordination Officer of the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine Mr. Yaroslav Yurtsaba.

The forum, which takes place in a hybrid format, is attended by hundreds of professionals, including international and national experts, who represent key institutions in the AML/CFT/CPF area, as well as the representatives of professional organizations of the reporting entities and higher education institutions.

Representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the National Bank of Ukraine, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Prosecutor General Office, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, and experts from the Delegation of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN), the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ENCL), the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Ukrainian private and public sector organizations, experts from Estonia and Canada, First Liaison Prosecutor for Ukraine at Eurojust, and others have given presentations.

During the forum, the issues relevant for today’s Ukraine are discussed, dedicated to the specifics of the implementation of the AML legislation, taking into account modern trends in the development of Ukraine.

The participants of the forum paid special attention to general trends, problems and prospects for the development of the prevention and counteraction system from the financial investigations into ML/TF/PF and sanctions evasion perspective, taking into account the experience of law enforcement agencies and the FIU.

Head of the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, Mr. Igor Cherkaskyi, emphasized that: “This event is of high relevance and practical benefit for the representatives of the public and private sectors, engaged in the development of an effective financial AML/CFT system, and ensuring Ukraine’s further successful path to membership in the EU and the national implementation of international standards”.

The SFMS continues to cooperate with international and national partners under the imposed martial law with the aim of coordinating the financial monitoring system at the central and regional levels.