The Egmont Group participates in panel discussions at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

While this is not a new rule or supervisory expectation, it reinforces the direction of travel in global AML/CFT policy: greater cross-border information sharing, deeper public-private partnerships, and sharper focus on organised crime and illicit finance. For UK compliance teams, this is a reminder that AML/CFT frameworks are increasingly interconnected. Firms should expect ongoing scrutiny of how they identify, escalate and report suspicious activity, and how effectively they respond to FIU requests.

The Congress’s focus on crime prevention may also accelerate discussions on beneficial ownership transparency, sanctions evasion, and emerging payment channels. Actionable steps: review AML/CFT policies against FATF and Egmont principles; test suspicious activity reporting (SAR) quality and timeliness; ensure international information requests are handled efficiently; and monitor post-Congress outputs for any new expectations. There is no immediate regulatory deadline, but early alignment can reduce future compliance risk.

Opportunities: firms with robust AML technology and data-sharing capabilities may differentiate themselves, especially as public-private partnerships expand. Conversely, weak AML controls could attract supervisory attention. Overall, this is an informational development with low urgency, but it underscores the need for continued investment in financial crime compliance.