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The Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) held its 48th Task Force of Senior Officials, 24th Council of Ministers and 7th PPSD Meetings in Diani, Republic of Kenya on 23-31 August 2024.

These significant events brought together regional experts, policymakers and representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss and address crucial issues within the ESAAMLG framework, including the discussion of a concerted and harmonised approach in the effective implementation of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation (AML/CFT) measures.
More than 400 delegates from the 21 ESAAMLG Member Countries as well as representatives of Cooperating and Supporting Nations and Organisations, such as Portugal, UK, USA, COMESA Secretariat, FATF Secretariat, GIZ, IMF, UN FAST Initiative and UNODC. The EU Global AML/CFT Facility and EU AML/CFT ESCAY attended as ESAAMLG Partners.
Convened twice a year, the ESAAMLG Task Force meetings are designed to facilitate discussions among delegates from Member States and observers on a number of issues in relation to AML/CFT matters. The Task Force Meeting provided a conducive platform for technical experts from ESAAMLG member states and observer organisations to deliberate on the progress and challenges faced in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.
Participants engaged in productive discussions and exchanged valuable insights on best practices, capacity building, and strategies to enhance the effectiveness of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures within the region. Part of the plenary meeting also included considering Reports of the Risk, Trends and Methods Group (RTMG), the Technical Assistance and Training Coordination, FIU Forum, Working Group on Risk, Compliance and Financial Inclusion, the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee as well as the closed session of the Steering Committee.
The Council of Ministers Meeting convened esteemed government officials and Ministers of finance, justice, and related sectors. The meeting provided a high-level platform to deliberate and foster cooperation in combatting money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. Distinguished participants engaged in robust discussions, sharing their experiences, and endorsing policy measures aimed at enhancing regional AML/CFT frameworks.
During the meetings, the Follow Up Reports with Re-Ratings of Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia were approved. The ongoing mutual evaluation of the State of Eritrea was noted. The discussion and adoption of Eritrea’s Mutual Evaluation Report in the March/April 2025 will mark the end of the ESAAMLG 2nd Round of Mutual Evaluations. As the ESAAMLG prepares for the 3rd Round of Mutual Evaluations, the ESAAMLG 3rd Round Procedures and Follow-Up Processes were discussed.
Amendments by the FATF to the FATF Standards to strengthen global asset recovery which introduce comprehensive requirements for policies, legal framework, adequate resources, good cooperation and coordination frameworks were also noted. The meetings concluded with a handover of both the Chairmanship of the Task Force and Presidency of the Council from the Republic of Kenya to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The meetings were followed by the 7th AML/CFT Public-Private sector dialogue (PPSD) which focused on strengthening counter-terrorism financing (CFT) efforts in the ESAAMLG region through enhanced collaboration. More than 600 participants from the public and private sector institutions attended the meeting.
The Public-Private Sector Dialogue in Diani witnessed the active participation of representatives from both the public and private sectors, including financial institutions, businesses, and professional associations. Throughout the dialogue, participants engaged in insightful conversations, highlighting the importance of understanding terrorism financing risks (threats and vulnerabilities), the critical need for enhanced collaboration between the private and public sectors and exploring collaboration between terrorism financing (TF) investigators, prosecutors, and the private sector within the ESAAMLG region.
Key outcomes of the dialogue included the identification of practical solutions to align private and public sectors actions, and sharing best practices and innovative solutions to manage and mitigate TF risks.
Overall, the ESAAMLG 48th Task Force Meeting, 24th Council of Ministers Meeting, and 7th Public Private Sector Dialogue in Diani have affirmed the commitment of the participating stakeholders to strengthen regional AML/CFT efforts. They have also set the stage for enhanced collaboration, information sharing, and the adoption of effective measures to combat financial crimes.
The ESAAMLG would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the government of Kenya for hosting this momentous gathering and to all the participants for their active engagement and valuable contributions. For further details and comprehensive reports on the outcomes of these meetings, visit our website and access the official documents.

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