-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	Request for assistance - IEWG
Date:	Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:05:28 -0500
From:	Nedko Krumov <Nedko.Krumov@egmont.org>
To:	dblkpp@egmont.org, upb@egmont.org, fdk@egmont.org, azefms-icd@egmont.org, azefms-requests@egmont.org, fid@egmont.org, fms@egmont.org, fms2@egmont.org, edgar.lopez@egmont.org, gcid-fiu@egmont.org, fis-guernsey@egmont.org, mliu@egmont.org, fiu.iom@egmont.org, philip.hunkin@egmont.org, sue.anderson@egmont.org, elisabeth.rattigan@egmont.org, impa@egmont.org, maya.lederman@egmont.org, elad.wieder@egmont.org, mira.atias@egmont.org, karen.bar-shalom@egmont.org, Lynn.Lerer@egmont.org, jfcu@egmont.org, behar.xhema@egmont.org, arsim.fejzullahu@egmont.org, effi@egmont.org, michael.schoeb@egmont.org, spcsb@egmont.org, oxana.gisca@egmont.org, siccfin@egmont.org, dspp@egmont.org, fiu-sm@egmont.org, giancarlo.montico@egmont.org, apml@egmont.org, mros@egmont.org, masak@egmont.org, masak1@egmont.org, sdfm@egmont.org, sdfm-international@egmont.org, vitalii.beregivskyi@egmont.org, ukfiu.birmingham@egmont.org, UKFIU@egmont.org, ukfiu-admin@egmont.org, aif@egmont.org, sorin.gabor@egmont.org, jerome.beaumont@egmont.org, nedko.krumov@egmont.org, asta.piesinaitezangla@egmont.org, gonzalo.alvarado@egmont.org, Secretariat@egmont.org, andrey.frolov@egmont.org, maeghan.mcgaraughty@egmont.org, michelle.ouyang@egmont.org, FIU-Montenegro - Montenegro <fiu.montenegro@egmont.org>

**Letter on behalf of the EUROPE II Regional Representative **

Dear members of the EUROPE II Regional Group,

Just before the upcoming Holidays Season, we hope this email finds you well and healthy!

We would like to ask for your assistance and cooperation concerning an IEWG new initiative. The IEWG is looking for support from FIUs to proceed with a project dedicated to anti-corruption and interconnected asset-recovery. This project aims to take up work already done and update it, especially with the latest developments resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and make it available for different audiences, including international partners.

So far, the Egmont Group and, more specifically, the IEWG, delivered different products on the topic. Following the meeting in Buenos Aires (January 2018), where the central theme was anti-corruption, the IEWG produced a list of red flags and indicators to support FIUs and reporting entities to identify such cases. Moreover, the Group produced a report on FIU tools and practices for the investigation of cases related to ML of the proceeds of corruption. In addition to that, the IEWG is currently working on a project dedicated to FIUs' role in the asset recovery process, mainly asset tracing and securing of assets.

The HoFIU agreed to treat the products mentioned above as living documents. They also agreed on the growing importance of anti-corruption and asset recovery and the central role that FIUs could play in the identification of such instances. The IEWG is looking to identify interested FIUs that can build upon this finalised and ongoing work and produce further deliverables. The idea is to conduct a highly focused work that will collect only targeted data, which is not already available within the previous two projects.

In this regard, we would like to kindly ask if any FIU in the region would like to join such IEWG work. Please bear in mind that, if sufficient interest is collected during its virtual meetings in February, the IEWG will be discussing a draft Concept Note scoping the potential new project.

We would be thankful if you could reply by January 7^th, 2021. You can send this information to the EGS (at Nedko.krumov@egmontsecretariat.org and Andrey.frolov@egmontsecretariat.org).

In your replies, can you please indicate if you would be interested in joining as:

The project team (co)-leader
Project team member
To dedicate a resource person.

Thank you very much for your help and cooperation.

Best regards,

EGS