Project Title: Strengthening capacities of the GUAM Member States to cooperate at the national and regional levels in combating money-laundering as well as in seizing and confiscating crime proceeds

Duration: 1 year 6 months (1 March 2012 –31 August 2013)

Countries involved: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova

Executing Agency: UNODC ROCA

Overall Budget: $500,000

Partner Organizations: Interpol, Europol/CARIN, Eurojust, Southeast European Law Enforcement (SELEC) Centre, World Bank and FATF

Brief Description - The project seeks to promote a regional approach to counter money laundering in the GUAM Member States (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan) and, at the same time, to strengthen inter-agency cooperation of these States at the national levels. This two-fold objective will be achieved through (i) reviewing national inter-agency cooperation mechanisms in each country and recommending their improvement based on best practices of the countries with the advanced AML regimes that will be shared among GUAM relevant national authorities; (ii) increasing the effectiveness of both law enforcement and judicial international cooperation in money laundering and asset forfeiture casework by conducting relevant regional workshops and (iii) providing personal networking opportunities to very senior anti money laundering policy makers, FIU, law enforcement and judicial personnel.

Project Objective: To strengthen the institutional capacities of the GUAM Member States in cooperating at the national and regional levels to combat money-laundering and to seize and confiscate crime proceeds

Outcome 1 - GUAM Member States adapt and/or reconsider internal interagency procedures to increase cooperation based on UN conventions and other anti-money laundering standards.

Outcome 2 - GUAM Member States cooperate with each other and with destination countries for the purpose of investigation of money-laundering and tracing, seizing and confiscating crime proceeds is improved.