Madrid, January 31, 2023. The European Cooperation Program on Drugs COPOLAD III, led by the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP) and the Ítalo-Latinoamerican Organization (IILA) increases its partnerships with Latin American organizations with the signing of a collaboration agreement with the Latin American Financial Action Task Force (GAFILAT). GAFILAT is an intergovernmental organization with the participation of 18 Latin American countries created to prevent and combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Exchange of information, public talent and standards
The aim of this collaboration is to improve cooperation between Latin America and the European Union:
– The exchange of financial information between Latin America and Europe in the framework of financial and patrimonial investigations linked to drug trafficking and other crimes.
– Improve the training of analysts and public officials in charge of such investigations.
– Support the adoption of standards, procedures and regulations to strengthen investigative capacity.
Cooperation activities between the two institutions will be carried out in the coming months through courses and training on money laundering and recovery of assets from drug trafficking and other crimes, as well as through the development of guides and best practices documents prepared jointly. The agreement provides for joint seminars, the exchange of practices between countries, as well as the development of information systems and technical assistance on financial investigation.
Cutting off drug money
The effective fight against international organized crime must redouble efforts to undermine the economic and financial structures of criminal organizations. Drug trafficking is the main source of resources for organized crime in our region and as such, a priority for GAFILAT. This threat knows no borders and affects the entire international community beyond our region. In this sense, cooperation between GAFILAT and the COPOLAD III project is of vital importance and is the best way to continue this fight,” said Esteban Fullin, Executive Secretary of GAFILAT.
“The effectiveness of drug trafficking policies should not only be measured by drug seizures or the number of arrests, but should also reinforce the State’s capacity to cut off the economic flow of drug trafficking, with the reinforcement of financial units that pursue the laundering of organized crime assets”, explains Inma Zamora, Secretary General of the FIIAPP.
