The Africa Civil Society Conference #AfricaAML/CFTCon is a flagship annual high-level event that convenes multiple stakeholders including; Non-Profit sector actors, rights-based organisations, government and intergovernmental actors, Regional Economic Mechanisms, Multilateral organisations, Financial Intelligence Units, banking institutions, among others to shape inclusive, risk and rights-based financial integrity frameworks across the continent.
The conference is a product of the Africa Civil Society Initiative on AMLCFT co-founded by Civic Advisory Hub (Uganda) and Spaces for Change (Nigeria). It provides a platform for collaboration between civil society, policymakers, and financial sector actors to ensure that AML/CFT policies and frameworks in Africa are inclusive, transparent, and grounded in human rights.
Globally, and in Africa especially, Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), and combating Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) efforts have remained heavily dominated by government and intergovernmental actors often sidelining civil society voices. Civil Society/ Non Profit Organisations (CSOs/NPOs) are expected to comply without question, yet as even the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has acknowledged, these efforts have had unintended negative consequences on the work of civil society organisations.
In response, the #AfricaAML/CFTCon was established to bridge this gap by spotlighting civil society perspectives and efforts and advocacy for the development of more holistic, risk and rights-based strategies for countering money laundering and terrorism financing.
The decision to hold this year’s conference in Gaborone, Botswana, reflects the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies and good governance. Botswana is also celebrated for being one of the fastest growing economies in the world making it a symbolic and strategic location to host conversations on financial integrity, accountability, and inclusive development.
