Aiming to enhance the internal coordination and increase the number of Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/ Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) prosecutions and convictions in Iraq, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a high-level strategic meeting for representatives of the Iraqi Financial Intelligence Unit and the Judiciary of Iraq on the 19th of May 2021.
This high-level meeting is part of two UNODC Projects, namely “Strengthening Iraqi Institutions to Counter Financing of Terrorism,” and “Responding to violent extremism and terrorism” funded by the Federal Government of Germany and the Government of Japan..
Senior level participation from relevant Iraqi institutions included: Munther Ibrahim Hussein Al-Khazali, Member of the Federal Court of Cassation; Ammar Hamad Khalaf Al-Ithawi, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq; Karim Khasbak, President of the Iraqi State Council; and Nizar Nasser Hussain, Director General of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Office. The meeting also gathered representatives from the Office of Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, Central Bank of Iraq, State Council, Appeals Court and Investigation Court.
Senior judges and relevant senior officials from Egypt, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates joined the meeting in which they provided an interactive platform for participants to enlist the current challenges related to investigations, prosecution and adjudication of money laundering and terrorism financing offences in Iraq as well as highlight the needed efforts for strengthening international cooperation in money laundering and terrorism financing offences.

Source: United Nations Iraq