More than 40 Cambodian law enforcement officials and their German counterparts are holding a seminar on organised crimes, as part of a joint initiative between the German and Cambodian governments aimed at preventing money-laundering crimes in the Kingdom.
The three-day seminar runs from December 5 to 7 in Phnom Penh, under the auspices of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).
Chin Malin, secretary of state and spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, told The Post on December 6 that the seminar was aimed at exchanging experiences with Germany on organised crime – with a focus on anti-money laundering – and featured expert speakers from Germany and Cambodia.
He said it was an opportunity for Cambodian and German specialists and law enforcement officers to share experiences with one another.
“The first topic we have addressed is money laundering. Because Cambodia is fighting money laundering to free itself from the FATF grey list, it is important to build the capacity of law enforcement officers,” he added.
Malin said that during the three-day seminar, representatives of the two nations would learn from each other and work together to solve the challenges Cambodia is facing regarding money laundering.
“This exchange is focused on all aspects of the fight against money laundering. This includes the development of legal and policy frameworks and measures as well as the mechanisms that Cambodia has put in place. We also discussed the overall effectiveness of law enforcement,” he said.
He added that more than 40 judicial police officers, judges, prosecutors and officials working on legal and policy framework at the justice ministry participated in the seminar. Through this cooperation, in early 2023, a number of Cambodian officials will visit Germany for further discussions.
On December 5, Malin led justice ministry officials to a high-level dialogue on the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, organised by UNESCO.
Malin said the dialogue was aimed at setting standards for policy and laws related to journalistic safety and challenges.
He added that it established several mechanisms to monitor and build the capacity of law enforcement officials. It would also contribute to the study, research and building of alliances, in line with the 10th goal of the 16th Sustainable Development Goals. Free expression and access to information is a favorable factor in the development and respect of human rights in Cambodia, he concluded.
