Financial Intelligence Office of Macao SAR being admitted as a member of The Egmont Group, a further step to fight against money laundering internationally

On 26 May 2009, at the Plenary Meeting of the Egmont Group in Qatar, Doha, Financial Intelligence Office of Macao SAR (“GIF”) was officially admitted as a member of The Egmont Group, reflecting the commitment and responsibility of Macao SAR in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism (“AML/CFT”).
The Egmont Group was established in Brussels, Belgium in June 1995, as an informal international gathering for financial intelligence units (“FIUs”) worldwide to foster better communication among FIUs. The Secretariat is located in Toronto, Canada. Up to 2008, there were a total of 108 FIUs from different jurisdictions joining the Egmont Group.
The objective of the Egmont Group is to provide a forum for FIUs around the world to improve co-operation in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism and to foster the implementation of domestic programs in this field. This support mainly includes expanding and systematizing international co-operation in the reciprocal exchange of information, as well as offering trainings to improve the expertise and capabilities of personnel employed by FIUs and promoting the establishment of FIUs with other jurisdictions.
As a member of the Egmont Group, GIF is not only fostering the co-operation with other jurisdictions, but also getting updated cross-border typologies information, which further strengthens the efforts to fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism.