INTRODUCTION
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, COMESA is a regional economic body comprising 21 Member Countries. COMESA’s current strategy can be summed up in the phrase “economic prosperity through regional integration”. With a population of over 540 million and global trade in goods worth more than US$ 235 billion, COMESA forms a major marketplace for both internal and external trading.
Background
COMESA Maritime Security (MASE) programme is a component of the broader Regional Maritime Security programme duly funded by European Union. The programme was developed following the rising piracy along the Indian Ocean in the early to mid-2000s and it is jointly implemented by four Regional Organizations (including COMESA), each with different focus/mandate, all collectively targeted at curbing piracy and addressing the adverse economic effects of transnational crimes.
The COMESA component of the programme aims at strengthening the capacity of the Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) region to disrupt financial networks of pirates and their financiers, thus to disrupt illicit financial flows in general. To achieve this, COMESA MASE is implementing an anti-money laundering programme targeting strengthening of all the stakeholders involved in the anti-money laundering efforts, starting from reporting entities, to Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and senior government officials. This approach ensures that all stakeholders are taking part in fighting financial crimes and money laundering in line with their respective obligations as per international standards given by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The curbing of illicit financial flows and the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing globally has several benefits including protection of integrity of financial systems, citizens and national and economic security in general. Strong and effective Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks make it difficult for criminals to conceal illegal activities and proceeds therefrom.
COMESA’s implementation of the programme is in line with different capacity needs, which exist in programme countries. Accordingly, Comoros has requested COMESA to support it with drafting laws guiding asset freezing and recovery mechanisms.
- Purpose of Consultancies
The proposed consultancy seeks to draft laws which should guide asset freezing and recovery mechanisms for Comoros. The laws should be in line with the current international standards.
- Scope of Works
The consultancy shall be for a total period of ten days, which include 3 days of on-site visit to the recipient country (Comoros) to undertake necessary consultations with relevant stakeholders in asset freezing and recovery processes.
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200624_CONSULTANCY-TO-DRAFT-LAW-ON-FREEZING-AND-ASSET-RECOVERY-MECHANISMS-FOR-COMOROS-002