BELIZE CITY, BELIZE – In a significant demonstration of international cooperation, Belize’s National Anti-Money Laundering Committee (NAMLC) has convened its third annual financial crime conference with substantial backing from the United States government. The event, taking place in Belize City, has drawn over 500 participants attending both physically and virtually to address escalating threats to global financial systems.
The conference serves as a crucial platform for Belizean and international financial security experts to exchange cutting-edge strategies and intelligence updates concerning money laundering, terrorist financing, and weapons proliferation. This collaborative effort gains particular significance amid growing concerns about emerging financial crime methodologies that transcend national borders.
Substantial operational support for the initiative comes from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), which has maintained an ongoing partnership with Belize’s Financial Intelligence Unit. This cooperation has focused on enhancing Belize’s institutional capabilities to detect, prevent, and prosecute financial crimes.
During Monday’s opening ceremony, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Katharine Beamer emphasized the seriousness of these threats, with the embassy subsequently reaffirming its commitment to “partnering with Belizean institutions” against organized crime networks and terrorism financing operations. An official statement characterized financial crimes as “serious emerging threats to national and global financial systems.”
Established in 2014, NAMLC functions as Belize’s central coordinating body for financial crime response, providing strategic counsel to the Minister of Finance, developing comprehensive national strategies, and representing Belize’s interests in international financial security forums. The conference underscores both nations’ determination to fortify financial infrastructures against criminal exploitation.