Closing Remarks by Ms Caroline Abel
Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles
4th ESAAMLG Public-Private Sector Dialogue on AML/CFT
Saturday September 8, 2018
Venue: Savoy Resort and Spa
Ministers and Members of the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers,
Permanent Secretaries,
Chairman & members of the Task Force of Senior Officials,
Executive Secretary of the ESAAMLG,
Private Sector Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have come to the end of this 4th ESAAMLG Public Sector Dialogue on
Anti Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism.
Over the last day and a half, we have gone to great lengths to explore the
chosen topics. It has been a great opportunity for us to have a better
overview of the extent of the challenges that exist in our jurisdictions and
the region. Government officials, policy makers and private sector
representatives present, have also had the opportunity to make their
valuable contributions, share experiences, and propose solutions.
All in all, it has been an enriching exchange. It is my sincere hope that
as we leave here today, we will endeavour to bring this dialogue back to
our respective organisations, and home countries, and further build on
the foundation that has already been laid.
It is evidently clear that we need to have strong AML/CFT frameworks in
our countries and the region. However, it is not enough to say so, but we
need to work towards achieving this objective.
Several best practices have been shared, which we can apply or adapt
to address our specific situations and challenges. We also have
resourceful organisations, like the IMF, World Bank, the FATF & UNODC
present here today, and I take this opportunity to call on these partners
to assist us.
It is imperative that we also have close collaboration between key
stakeholders as this is crucial to addressing all of the issues that we
have been discussing, because as we have seen these are all cross
cutting issues and cannot be dealt with by the government, the law
enforcement authorities or the private sector alone.
Another key message that has come out of this dialogue is the need for
increased communication and education. Having strong AML/CFT
frameworks in place would not be effective, if there is no communication
and engagement between the concerned partners to address critical
issues.
To conclude this evening, I would like to express my sincere
appreciation to each and everyone who have contributed towards the
success of this event.
Firstly, I would like to thank the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers for the
privilege afforded to the Central Bank of Seychelles to host this high
level dialogue.
I also wish to thank both the public and private sector participants, for
the overwhelming response to the invitation to attend the event, and for
your active participation.
To our panellists, thank you for your well prepared presentations and
eloquent sharing of your experiences and expertise.
We also thank the moderators, who have also done a great job at
chairing the presentation of each topics and engaging the audience to
contribute towards the debate, as well as the rapporteurs for taking
notes and highlighting the key issues that have been raised.
I am hopeful that the ESAAMLG Secretariat will work towards the
implementation of all recommendations that have come out of this
exercise.
My sincere appreciation also goes to the staff of the Central Bank of
Seychelles for their hard work in putting this event together.
As we end, I would like to wish our esteemed international guests and
delegates, a safe and pleasant journey, back to your respective homes.
For those who are staying in Seychelles for a few more days, do take a
moment to explore the islands, which boast some of the most
breathtaking beaches and amazing sceneries.
We look forward to welcoming many of you back in Seychelles, in April
next year, when we host the ESAAMLG Workshop on Digital financial
services, Bureau de Change and Money remittances.
I thank you all for your attention.