| Subject: | Out-of-session endorsement of agreement with INL to fund ECOFEL |
|---|---|
| Date: | Wed, 19 Aug 2020 22:26:02 -0400 |
| From: | Parviz Bakhshaliyev <Parviz.Bakhshaliyev@egmont.org> |
| To: |
On behalf of Mrs. Silvina Rivarola, ECOFEL Program Manager:
Dear Heads of FIUs,
ECOFEL continued to work hard towards securing an additional donor in order to ensure its business continuity in these unsettling times. To this end, we have been working towards a funding agreement with the United States, Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affair (INL).
The aim of this communication is to seek your out-of-session endorsement of the Letter of Agreement (LOA) for a financial contribution to ECOFEL, for a total amount of USD 4,575,380.15 for a two year period. INL funding would complement funding from other donors to help Egmont Group accomplish its important mission. In the past, the EG accepted INL funding to transform the Securing an FIU and FISMM documents into courses, and delivering these courses around the world.
With this Memo, which provides detailed explanation for the main features of the proposal, ECOFEL is also sharing the supporting documents as well as the AML/CFT and conflict-of- interest screening conducted in accordance with the EG Charter. The proposal was submitted to and considered by the EC ECOFEL Reference Group, Finance Reference Group and Egmont Committee.
The list of projects in the program with INL is not exhaustive and may be expanded at any time in consultation with INL.
Please let me also stress a recent important development concerning the ECOFEL: DfID informed ECOFEL that in spite of the fact that their contribution comes to an end in March 2021, DfID’s contribution to ECOFEL may encounter drastic budget cuts, as such budget cuts are being implemented in all programs funded by DfID. Although official confirmation on the extent of the budget cuts is still pending, securing a new donor is now critical to the business continuity of ECOFEL.
Internal procedures within INL require the LOA to be countersigned by the EG by the first week of September 2020. Therefore, to allow the INL to move ahead internally, you are invited to provide your endorsement and/or comments by Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 (COB, Ottawa, Canada). As usual, a non-response will be considered as tacit approval.
Sincerely,
ECOFEL team