The World Bank has been supporting the Bangladeshi government in strengthening the country’s efforts to better combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, said the Washington-based lender Thursday.

In a statement, the bank said that it is providing technical assistance to grant financing to improve compliance on Anti-Money Laundering-Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.

As part of its initiatives, the bank has recently organized two training workshops for government officials and representatives from NGOs and banks, aiming to enhance the capacity and competency for implementing the provisions of targeted financial sanction and Anti-Terrorism Law under the United National Security Council Resolutions (USRs) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations.

“Bangladesh is steadily addressing the needs required to strengthen its Money Laundering-Counter Financing of Terrorism regime,” said Christine Kimes, acting country head of World Bank Bangladesh.

…workshop showcases the government’s commitment for improving capacity of the relevant stakeholders from implementing and reporting agencies for implementing targeted financial sanctions.”

According to the bank, Bangladesh has already formed a national committee headed by the foreign secretary and consisting of all stakeholders to supervise and monitor the implementation of targeted financial sanctions.
World Bank Press Release 

ROME (20 September 2013) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, today called on the Government of Italy to further boost and coordinate its national anti-trafficking response.

As a matter of fact, none of the 28 EU member states is complying with the EU directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. No major change from EU Commissioner’s Malmström shocking statement from April 15 2013 can be recognized.

The reality is that the 28 EU member states do not comply with the basic EU laws and regulations against Organized Crime as for example the EU money laundering directive and the EU directive against human trafficking and forced labour.

In June 2013 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a report concluding that governments across Europe were in a state of confusion and denial over the extent of forced labour within their own borders, contributing to hundreds of thousands of people remaining trapped in exploited, unpaid and dangerous working conditions.

According to the UN International Labor Organization (ILO) 21 million people are now victims of forced labour worldwide. There are about 880,000 people in forced labour conditions across Europe. 70% of the 880,000 people identified as being in forced labour conditions are in forms of labour exploitation, with a further 270,000 people estimated to be victims of sexual exploitation…
UNHR Trafficking Italy