Financial Crime World

Iraq Makes Strides in Combating Financial Crime with UNDP Support

Training Program Sees Notable Success

Since 2021, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has trained over 2,000 officials in Iraq as part of a comprehensive program to combat financial crime. The training focuses on investigating and prosecuting complex and organized financial crimes, including corruption, illicit enrichment, and money laundering.

Interactive Workshops Prove Effective

More than 700 judges have benefited from the interactive workshops led by UNDP experts. These sessions are designed to be collaborative, with participants working together to solve real case examples. The program’s popularity has been evident, with a growing network of judges and prosecutors from across Iraq participating in the training.

Recognizing the Impact

Judge Kawa Fathi Masoum, Public Prosecutor General of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, attended one of the workshops in Baghdad and praised the program for driving meaningful change and improvement in financial crime investigations.

Key Outcomes

  • Comprehensive Framework: A comprehensive framework to combat money laundering and illegal financing has been developed, including digital tools for tracing assets, identifying beneficiaries, and documenting asset movement.
  • Handbook Launch: The Handbook for Enhancing Financial Investigations and Upholding the Rule of Law was launched in November 2023, co-created by 11 institutions collaborating on financial crimes cases.

Building a Strong Partnership

The success of the project is a testament to the strong partnership between UNDP and Iraqi agencies, including:

  • Supreme Judicial Council
  • Judicial Council of the KRI
  • Ministry of Justice/Public Prosecution Agency of the KRI
  • Other collaborating institutions

This collaborative effort underscores the importance of a united front in addressing financial crime and enhancing the capacity of the Iraqi judicial system.

Continued Support

As the work continues to build robust justice and law enforcement in Iraq for more integrity, UNDP remains committed to supporting the country’s efforts to combat financial crime and enhance its capacity to uphold the rule of law.