The Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Edwin W. Harris Jr., will visit Liberia from Monday, August 11 to Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
Mr. Harris will lead a high-powered delegation to Monrovia as part of a regional effort to strengthen Liberia’s defences against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
The mission will also prepare the country for the 44th GIABA Plenary and Technical Commission Meeting, scheduled for November 17–21, 2025.
During the trip, Mr. Harris will meet with President Joseph Boakai and top officials, including the Ministers of Justice, Finance and Interior; the Governor of the Central Bank; the head of the Financial Intelligence Agency; and members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee. Talks will focus on closing gaps identified in Liberia’s recent financial crime evaluation.
That review — the Second-Round Mutual Evaluation Report adopted in May 2023 — found mixed results in Liberia’s fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The findings placed Liberia under GIABA’s Enhanced Follow-Up process.
Since then, the country has made key reforms, including the Control Drug and Substance Act, 2023, new beneficial ownership regulations, and a National AML/CFT Action Plan (2024–2028) endorsed on August 5, 2024.
Hosting the November plenary will allow Liberia to showcase its progress to West African counterparts and international observers.
The event is expected to bring together policymakers, technical experts and global partners, generating economic and diplomatic benefits along with greater visibility for Liberia’s financial governance reforms.
GIABA says the Monrovia meetings will be technical, results-driven, and focused on ensuring Liberia is ready for a regional peer review.