Samarkand hosted a high-level retreat aimed at strengthening global cooperation against financial crime, bringing together representatives of international and regional bodies working on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in partnership with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan, supported the Global Network Secretariats’ Retreat held in the historic city.
The event gathered representatives of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and FATF-style regional bodies, focusing on improving international cooperation and institutional effectiveness in the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.
The retreat comes amid Uzbekistan’s continued efforts to strengthen its financial governance system and align national practices with international standards.
Over three days, participants worked on improving mutual evaluation processes, enhancing institutional capacity, and strengthening coordination between regional bodies. Discussions also addressed reducing administrative burdens, improving consistency in assessments, and scaling up effective cross-regional practices.
The outcomes are expected to support more efficient procedures, stronger institutional cooperation, and improved responses to financial crime risks across jurisdictions.
“Bringing practitioners together in this format helps turn shared principles into practical solutions,” said Dr. Silke Kloever, Senior Project Officer at the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. “Stronger cooperation and more effective institutions are key to addressing increasingly complex and cross-border financial crime risks.”
For several years, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan has worked with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes to facilitate cooperation between national authorities and FATF-related structures, supporting Uzbekistan’s integration into global financial governance mechanisms.
The Samarkand retreat is expected to further enhance regional coordination, promote best practices in AML/CFT, and strengthen financial integrity frameworks.
