On the Meeting of the Secretariats of the FATF Global Network

Within the framework of implementing the tasks on enhancing international cooperation, as defined by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PF-99 dated July 8, 2024, the Department on Combating Economic Crimes at the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan held the 2nd Meeting of the Secretariats of the FATF Global Network in the city of Samarkand on April 27–29, 2026.

The main objective of the event was to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the Global Network Secretariats, as well as to strengthen the contribution of FATF-style regional bodies to the implementation of the organization’s initiatives through the exchange of best practices.

For reference, the first meeting of the Global Network Secretariats was held in Abu Dhabi in April 2025.

The three-day international meeting was attended by executive secretaries of FATF and its regional groups covering Latin America, Central America, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Eurasia.

During the event, participants discussed issues related to the development, updating, and improvement of international standards in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The first part of the meeting focused on improving human resource policies within the Global Network Secretariats. Discussions covered the criteria for selecting international experts, staff incentive measures, and approaches to reducing staff turnover.

The importance of introducing mentorship programs and expanding experience-sharing among secretariats to ensure continuous professional development was also emphasized.

Particular attention was given to preparations for a new round of mutual evaluations of national systems based on FATF standards. In particular, issues related to simplifying data collection processes, introducing new approaches to assessing technical compliance and effectiveness, and analyzing the results of previous evaluations were considered.

In order to further strengthen cooperation among the Global Network Secretariats, participants also discussed the promotion of successful regional initiatives at the international level.

The approaches developed on the Samarkand platform will contribute to further improving the development and implementation of international standards in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Holding this high-level event in Samarkand reflects Uzbekistan’s growing international standing, as well as recognition of the reforms being carried out to ensure transparency in the financial system.

It also demonstrates that Uzbekistan is becoming an important platform for international dialogue in the field of financial security.

Department on Combating Economic Crimes at the Prosecutor General’s  Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan