GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Nov 14, CMC – About 50 officials from 16 Caribbean countries and territories have completed a five-day training programme designed to strengthen regional capacity to assess efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) Assessors’ Training Programme was held in Georgetown from November 9 to 13 and hosted by Guyana’s Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs.
The training was designed to equip public-sector officials with the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to participate in CFATF Mutual Evaluations, which assess countries’ compliance with international standards and the effectiveness of their systems for tackling financial crime.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall visited the programme and met with representatives of the CFATF Secretariat, trainers and participants.
He underscored the importance of developing regional expertise and strengthening institutional capacity to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
The CFATF is the regional body responsible for monitoring and assessing the implementation of standards established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Its Mutual Evaluations examine both the extent to which countries have implemented the FATF Recommendations through their laws and institutional frameworks and how effectively those measures work in practice.
Guyana was represented by nine officials from the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Bank of Guyana, the Gaming Authority, the Special Organised Crime Unit of the Guyana Police Force and the Cooperatives Department of the Ministry of Labour.
Officials who completed the programme may be considered for selection to serve as assessors on future CFATF Mutual Evaluation teams.
The training was facilitated by five CFATF Secretariat officials: Deputy Executive Director Wendell Lucas; Law Enforcement Advisor Christopher Lahourie; Legal Advisor Camille Renie; Financial Advisor Knalidi Jackson Frederick; and Junior Financial Advisor Nalita Seenath.
The programme comes as CFATF member jurisdictions transition from the Fourth Round to the Fifth Round of Mutual Evaluations, which places greater emphasis on the effectiveness of national systems in identifying, investigating and prosecuting financial crimes, recovering criminal proceeds and addressing related risks.
Guyana is also continuing to implement measures arising from its Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation and preparing for its November 2026 follow-up reporting process. Further consideration of the country’s technical compliance ratings is anticipated in November 2027.
The government said it remains committed to strengthening the country’s legislative and institutional framework, including measures relating to financial intelligence, supervision, investigation, prosecution, confiscation and asset recovery.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to working with the CFATF, FATF and regional and international partners to ensure its anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing framework remains aligned with international standards.
CMC/ed/2026