Please see below full text of His Excellency, Edwin W. Harris, Jr’ Welcome Remarks(speech)
PROTOCOL:
Your Excellencies, Hon. Ministers, Spiritual Leaders and Heads of various Religious Bodies and Institutions,
We are highly honored to have you at this very important gathering. The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and, indeed, the entire Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) consider this particular workshop a very important one. We are grateful that you are able to make time for this, out of your busy schedules.
It is obvious that we have, among us, some who are coming in contact with GIABA for the first time and, for their sake, I would like to give a brief introduction about GIABA and the work we do. GIABA is a specialized Institution of ECOWAS, as well as a FATF-style Regional Body (FSRB) for West Africa. It was established in the year 2000 by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, with the mandate to protect the economies of member States from the laundering of the proceeds of crimes and combat terrorist financing (TF).
To this end, GIABA works to ensure that member States comply with acceptable International Standards on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). As an FSRB, GIABA undertakes mutual evaluations – a peer review mechanism for assessing the level of technical compliance and effectiveness of member States’ AML/CFT systems with International Standards. GIABA also conducts valuable researches and typologies exercises to identify the various Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing trends and methods in order to strengthen preventive and enforcement efforts.
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to share with you the components of GIABA’s core mandate. This include:
- Ensuring the implementation of AML/CFT standards, in compliance with acceptable International Standards and practices, including the FATF 40 Recommendations;
- Promoting the implementation of AML/CFT measures by Member States, while taking into account regional peculiarities and environment;
- Acting as a forum where members can discuss regional issues and share their experiences;
- Organizing self and mutual evaluations to measure the effectiveness of the measures taken, as well as their technical compliance with acceptable International Standards;
- Conducting research on trends and methods with far-reaching outcomes and recommendations to address the menace of ML/TF
- Coordinating and supporting Member States in the implementation of AML/CFT systems and legislations regarding the proceeds of crime through mutual legal assistance; and
- Assisting member States in establishing and sustaining Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs).
You will agree with me that this is an onerous task. However, I am glad to say with confidence that GIABA has risen to the challenge, through various high-impact capacity-building programmes, technical assistance to various institutions of member States, sustained partnership with the international community, and far-reaching advocacies and sensitization programs to a wide range of stakeholders.
In September 2011, GIABA sensitized the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation in Nigeria on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. Also in May 2013, we participated in a Security Conference for Church leaders. These initial steps culminated in the establishment of a targeted program for religious leaders and institutions by 2017. You will agree with me that the increase in illicit income-generating crimes (known as predicate offenses of money laundering) such as corruption, kidnapping, and human and drug trafficking, amongst others, in our part of the world is worrisome. This is in addition to the high level of violent extremism and the obvious challenges associated with these vices. It is therefore important to engage and utilize the tremendous influence of religious leaders in addressing some of the ills ravaging our society. Thus, this program is a clarion call on all of us to play our roles in ensuring a peaceful, secured, and economically viable nation and the region at large, through the instrumentality of religion. This is the key reason why GIABA decided to invite eminent personalities like you all to this crucial seminar.
In promoting peaceful coexistence, the voice of our religious leaders must be strongly heard against violent extremism, terrorism, corruption, human trafficking, kidnapping, and other predicate offenses. Secondly, they must not only be heard but must be seen leading the way by action and exemplary lifestyles.
Distinguished Guests and Delegates,
It is our expectation that this seminar will be a springboard for a renewed commitment of all religious and opinion leaders to identify the key roles they must play in raising awareness and shaping the morals of their congregations and followers through the force of moral persuasive messages. Without pre-empting the resource persons assembled to lead discussions at this seminar, it is a common belief that religious leaders wield considerable influence among their followers. This is evidence of potential influence of moral persuasion, which could be channeled to increase the good of society. We must be bold to speak the truth at all times, speak against evil, drive the good path, counsel the bad, and report obvious destructive evil to the appropriate authority, where necessary.
If we must rid society of these wrongdoings, then, we must continue to stand as the shining light and examples which we are; we must resist all the negative influences and help in guiding the path of our followers in building a safe and secure society.
I must say here, though, that this is not a task for the religious leaders alone. GIABA is also interacting with and building the capacity of other stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, financial institutions, designated non-financial businesses and professions, the media, youth and women groups, and civil society organizations. This implies that all hands must be on deck for us to achieve the desired outcomes.
To this end, GIABA has assembled seasoned experts and astute resource persons that will, in this two-day seminar, share great insights on roles we ought to play in the fight against, not just ML/TF, but other social ills in our society.
Your Excellencies, Religious Leaders, Distinguished Ladies, and Gentlemen, at no other time, has our society required moral rebirth than now. Therefore, the importance of this gathering and its expected result cannot be overemphasized. I urge us all to relax, concentrate and take up the task ahead, by taking the action points from here and pledging to contribute our quota as religious and opinion leaders in building a better society.
In conclusion, I wish to express GIABA’s kind appreciation to the President of the Republic of Liberia, GIABA line ministers, religious leaders, members of the Press, experts and resource persons assembled here today, our distinguished delegates, and distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
Finally, I thank you all for honoring our invitation and I wish you all fruitful deliberations.