On May 16, the heads of the Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil met in Buenos Aires signed a joint declaration of commitment to international cooperation; with assistance from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI) Countering Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism in South America program. ABA ROLI’s program seeks to improve the capacity of the governments and obligated entities in the Tri-Border Area of South America to effectively counter the financing of terrorism in the region. ABA ROLI implements the program alongside partners K2 Integrity and GovRisk.
Historic Joint Declaration Between the Financial Intelligence Units of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay for the Fight Against Terrorism and Organized Crime
From left to right: Ignacio Yacobucci, President of the Argentinian FIU; Liliana Alcaraz Recalde, Minister of SEPRELAD (Paraguay); and Ricardo Liao, President of COAF (Brazil); and Mariano Federici, K2 Integrity.
Jump to:
The FIU representatives that signed the joint declaration were Ignacio Yacobucci, President of the Argentine FIU (Spanish, La Unidad de Información Financiera - UIF); Liliana Elizabeth Alcaraz Recalde, Minister of the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money or Assets Laundering (Spanish, Secretaría de Prevención de Lavado de Dinero o Bienes - SEPRELAD) of Paraguay; and Ricardo Liao, President of the Council for Financial Activities Control (Portuguese, Conselho de Controle de Atividades Financeiras – COAF) of Brazil. The signing signified a commitment to strengthen international cooperation and effectiveness in the fight against money laundering, the financing of terrorism, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As heads of their respective FIU’s, their roles focus on strengthening the strategic exchange of financial intelligence in their countries.
This meeting is a milestone in the collaboration between neighboring countries to combat the financing of terrorism and organized crime. It also lays the foundation for coordinated and strategic action between the countries FIUs against transnational financial threats. Through the established dialogue, the heads of the FIUs and ABA ROLI’s program team identified opportunities and established operational mechanisms to detect and mitigate common threats.
This meeting was the result of the regional conference “Public-Private Collaboration in the Development of a Culture of Forfeiture in the Region – The Importance of Going After Assets”, held at the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, organized by the Argentinian Exchanges Houses Association (Spnaish, Cámara Argentina de Casas y Agencias de Cambio - CADECAC), ABA ROLI, K2 Integrity, and the US Department of State Office of Counterterrorism. The success of this meeting was shared online via the SEPRELAD of Paraguay, the Government of Argentina and the COAF of Brazil.
As part of the agreement, the FIU authorities will continue to meet to share updates, progress, and potential adaptations for addressing transnational crime. The first meeting was held virtually, and all presidents attended accompanied by technical experts to continue discussions regarding information sharing mechanisms. On September 12, the authorities will meet again in Brasília (Brazil) to continue their efforts to strengthen the cooperation and joint work to fight money laundering and terrorism financing.
This joint commitment not only strengthens the financial security of the countries involved, but also sends a clear message to financial criminals that their illegal activity will not be tolerated and will be combated with determination and international cooperation. This strategic meeting will be remembered as an example of success in the fight against financial crime at a regional and global level.