Project Update
Tajik practitioners enhance skills to counter money laundering risks linked to virtual assets
- Issued on:
- Issued by:
- Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities
- Fields of work:
- Economic activities, Good governance, Cyber/ICT Security
On 2 and 3 December in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the OSCE organized a focused workshop aimed at strengthening the capacities of national authorities to prevent and mitigate money laundering risks associated with virtual assets and blockchain-based finance. The two-day event brought together practitioners from the Financial Monitoring Department under the National Bank of Tajikistan and other key institutions involved in anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).
Throughout the workshop, practitioners learned about the key pillars of blockchain technology, licensing and supervision of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), and the most common illicit activities involving virtual assets. The workshop also included practical exercises where participants opened cryptocurrency wallets and tracked transactions to better understand the investigative opportunities and practical challenges associated with virtual assets.
“This workshop is highly relevant for us as we are seeing the increasing use of virtual assets in our work. Building our skills is essential for safeguarding financial integrity in our country” said Sino Jumazoda, Deputy Director of the Financial Monitoring Department under the National bank of Tajikistan.
The workshop also explored real-world case studies, including cross-border virtual asset investigations and high-profile cyber incidents. Discussions highlighted the legislative, institutional, and analytical tools needed to investigate, freeze, and recover illicit digital funds. Participants further examined Tajikistan’s needs in aligning with international standards, including the requirements set by FATF Recommendation 15.
The activity was implemented as part of the extra-budgetary project “Innovative policy solutions to mitigate money laundering risks of virtual assets”, implemented by the Office of the Co-ordinator for OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, and funded by the Governments of Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.