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Assistant Foreign Minister Assistant Foreign Minister

Kuwait committed to fighting money laundering: Official

Leadership keen on moving Kuwait out of FATF monitoring list

By Faten Omar and KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Development and International Cooperation, Ambassador Hamad Al-Mashaan, has emphasized the country’s leadership’s strong commitment to ensuring that all relevant authorities in Kuwait work hard and efficiently to move the country out of a “follow-up phase” in the evaluation process of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Currently, Kuwait is undergoing a mutual evaluation by FATF, which assesses the country’s efforts in combating money laundering and financing terrorism. The “follow-up phase” typically refers to a period during which a country is being closely monitored to ensure it is making sufficient progress in addressing any shortcomings identified during FATF’s evaluation. The country’s leadership is focused on meeting FATF’s standards and moving out of this phase, said Al-Mashaan.

As part of these efforts, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, in collaboration with Kuwait’s ministry of foreign affairs, held online sessions on Tuesday focusing on targeted financial sanctions, asset recovery and mutual legal assistance.

The workshop aims to train and qualify the national workforce in strategies to combat terrorism and its financing. Al-Mashaan pointed out the committee’s keenness to develop the competencies and human cadres in Kuwait to implement the international obligations stipulated in the Security Council resolutions issued under Chapter VII and translate them by taking precautionary measures to combat the financing of terrorism and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting the financial system.

Discussions covered asset recovery and judicial cooperation, with participation from international and local entities, including the Central Bank of Kuwait, banks, exchange companies and real estate firms. Al-Mashaan noted the strong attendance, emphasizing the sessions’ role in updating participants on global developments in combating money laundering and sanctions targeting terrorism financiers. “These sessions are part of a series of workshops organized by the Security Council Resolutions Implementation Committee to align with international financial standards,” he said.

Regarding the ministry of foreign affairs’ mechanisms to monitor financial transfers and counter money laundering, Al-Mashaan explained that the Security Council Resolutions Implementation Committee oversees requests from the UN Security Council. The committee, comprising representatives from the Central Bank, financial intelligence unit, public prosecution, state security, ministry of defense and ministry of justice, evaluates and acts on cases involving individuals or entities. He also highlighted Kuwait’s active role in the Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, a Gulf-American initiative addressing terrorism financing through regular meetings.

On Kuwait’s humanitarian efforts, Al-Mashaan detailed ongoing aid initiatives for Syria, Gaza and Lebanon. He noted Kuwait’s commitment to supporting Syria through an air bridge managed by the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, involving 20 military aircraft delivering humanitarian aid. Aid is coordinated with the Syrian Red Crescent, Kuwaiti charities and international organizations, utilizing multiple delivery channels, including military aircraft, international collaboration and truck shipments to the Syrian border.

For Gaza, Kuwait coordinates aid delivery with Egypt, storing and transferring supplies through the Egyptian Red Crescent in Al-Arish, and has also established a second route through Jordan. Similarly, Kuwait has previously provided extensive humanitarian aid to Lebanon, including multiple aid shipments.

The sessions also addressed the Mutual Evaluation Report of the FATF for the Middle East and North Africa on Kuwait, published in Oct 2024. Discussions, opened by Reinhard Uhrig, Director of the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, and Al-Mashaan, emphasized the need for stronger laws criminalizing terrorism financing, asset recovery, freezing and confiscation.

The sessions underscored Kuwait’s dedication to global cooperation on combating financial crimes and advancing its humanitarian efforts in the region. Since joining the Malta-based International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law in 2018, Kuwait has remained committed to promoting justice and the rule of law.

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