Information Exchange Working Group (IEWG)
A forum for Egmont Group FIUs and Observers to leverage the synergies associated with their operational and strategic activities to enhance cooperation, information exchanges, and address challenges.
Considering the mandates and activities of other working groups, the IEWG aims to increase the quality and quantity of timely information exchanges between FIUs based on operational and strategic analysis. Improving information exchanges will facilitate and enhance FIUs’ adherence to international standards. In addition, the IEWG benefits from the expertise of its members, which contributes significantly to the working group’s objectives.
Key Elements of the IEWG's Mandate
Projects
Chair and Vice-Chairs
Key Elements of the IEWG's Mandate
The IEWG shall proactively undertake strategic work and analysis to improve cooperation between FIUs and enhance FIU operational efficiency and effectiveness and participate in operational activities or projects undertaken by other international fora.
The IEWG offers Egmont Group members operational and strategical experience and opportunities to contribute to tools (including IT) and documents as contributions to the projects from the IEWG’s business plans. The IEWG provides members with the capacity to share input such as methodologies and practical cases to enrich the knowledge and practice on information exchange and other FIU activities.
The IEWG aims to achieve the following three key pillars within its mandate:
- Promoting, supporting, and facilitating the bilateral and multilateral exchange of operational and strategic information
- Jointly developing approaches and methods among FIUs to share knowledge and specific insights into global money laundering and terrorist financing threats, new typologies, and best practices
- Strengthening the IT capabilities of FIUs and utilizing advancements in technology to improve the collaboration and exchange of information of FIUs
IEWG Projects
Current IEWG Projects
For Stream 1:
- Increasing FIUs’ Effectiveness in the Asset Recovery Process
- Update of the e-Catalogue on Regulated VASPs
- The Role of FIUs in the National Risk Assessment Process
For Stream 2:
- FIUs’ Role in the Fight Against the Abuse of Non-Profit Organizations for Terrorism Financing Activity
- FIU Role in Combatting Sanctions Evasion
For Stream 3:
- Effective Data Analysis IT Tools and Cloud Services
Past IEWG Projects
In 2023:
- Abuse of Virtual Assets for Terrorism Purposes
- Detecting Trade-Based Money Laundering and Misuse of Corporate Structures
- Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing on Cyber Enable Fraud (joint work with FATF and INTERPOL)
- Use of Open-Source Intelligence in FIU Operational and Strategic Analysis
In 2022:
- Abuse of Virtual Assets for Terrorism Purposes
- Detecting Trade-Based Money Laundering and Misuse of Corporate Structures
- Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing on Cyber Enable Fraud (joint work with FATF and INTERPOL)
- Use of Open-Source Intelligence in FIU Operational and Strategic Analysis
- Phase II of the FIUs Capabilities and Involvement in the Fight Against the Financing of Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism
- Beneficial Ownership report
- Joint TBML paper
- TBML List of Risk Indicators
- Digital Transformation for AML/CFT purposes (phase 1)
In 2021:
- eCatalogue on Asset Recovery powers of FIUs
- FIUs Capabilities and Involvement in the Fight Against the Financing of Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism
- E-Catalogue on Regulated Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs)
- Flexible, Consistent Information Exchange Standards
In 2020:
- Conclusions from Large Scale Cross-Border ML Schemes – list of TBML risk indicators (public and non-public versions)
- Conclusions from Large Scale Cross-Border ML Schemes – Case Book
- Joint Egmont/FATF report – TBML Trends and Developments
- The Role of FIUs in Combatting Illicit Finance Associated with Human Trafficking – White Paper
- Money Laundering of Serious Tax Crimes: Enhancing Financial Intelligence Units’ Detection Capacities and Fostering Information Exchange (available in English and Spanish)
- Combatting Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
- Egmont Group/WCO – Customs-FIU Cooperation Handbook (available in English, Russian; French; Arabic; Spanish; Portuguese)
In 2019:
- FIU Tools and Practices for Investigating ML of the Proceeds of Corruption
- Business Email Compromise Fraud – Phase II
- Countering Trafficking in Persons/Human Trafficking and Related Illicit Finance (Bulletin)
- Counter TF: Lone Actors and Small Cells Report
- Professional Money Laundering Facilitators (Bulletin)
In 2018:
- Concealment of Beneficial Ownership – a joint project with the FATF
- STR Reporting Regime (Volume 1 / Volume 2)
- Emerging Financial Technologies, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: A Typology of Virtual Currencies (available in English, French, Spanish)
In 2017:
- ISIL Project – Phase II;
- Business Email Compromise – Phase I
- FIUs Working with LEA and Prosecutors
- Impact Assessment of Blockchain Technologies
In 2016:
- ISIL Project – Phase I
- Blockchain Overview Research Report
- Urgent Terrorism Incident Response Checklist
- Urgent Terrorism Incident Response Standard Operating Procedures
- Vulnerability of Mobile Payment Services to ML/TF
Chair and Vice-Chairs
Working Group Chair
Name
Ilit Ostrovitch Levi
Education
Holds degrees in Law, Business Administration, and Commercial Law from Reichman University, and a Law degree from Duke University.
Bio to follow
Working Group
Vice-Chairs
- Yuval Rabin – FIU Israel
- Sonja Corstanje – FIU-Netherlands
- Muhammad Jiya – NFIU-Nigeria
- Alistair Sands – AUSTRAC
- Manish Kumar Hairat – FIU India
