Abidjan, August 12, 2026 – Adama Coulibaly, Minister of Economy, Finance and Budget, proceeded, this Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in Abidjan – Deux-Plateaux, 7th Tranche, with the official opening and handover of the keys of the new headquarters of the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) in Abidjan.
“This ceremony marks the provision of a modern, fully equipped and functional headquarters, the keys to which we are officially handing over today,” the minister stated, adding: “This act reflects the firm commitment of the Ivorian government to support GIABA’s efforts in the fight against financial crime by offering, through these premises, a framework for the exchange of experiences and expertise in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”
The Ivorian government and GIABA signed a headquarters agreement on March 29, 2014, in Yamoussoukro, on the sidelines of the 44th ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government. This agreement was in line with the decisions of the 65th session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, held on November 26, 2010, in Abuja, Nigeria, to create two information centers on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, one in Lagos (Nigeria) for Anglophone countries and the other in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) for Francophone and Lusophone countries.
“Thanks to the support of GIABA, Côte d’Ivoire has succeeded in meeting the challenge of implementing, before the deadline set by the FATF, the action plan adopted in October 2024 to strengthen the national system for combating money laundering,” Minister Adama Coulibaly also noted, before calling on all stakeholders to become more involved in initiatives that can help to succeed in neutralizing financial criminals and, above all, cutting off their sources of funding.
“The establishment of this mechanism demonstrates the confidence placed in our organization and the willingness of the Ivorian authorities to contribute to strengthening regional mechanisms for preventing and combating transnational crime in our region,” said Edwin Harris Junior, Director General of GIABA, before expressing his deep gratitude to His Excellency Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and to his entire government for their unwavering commitment and crucial support, which has enabled the strengthening of GIABA’s institutional presence in Côte d’Ivoire.
According to General Idrissa Touré, president of the National Financial Information Processing Unit (CENTIF), “the opening of this Center allows us to create a new dynamic focused on knowledge acquisition, cooperation, and action.” This is especially true since the Center is intended to become a regional tool for awareness-raising, training, research, documentation, communication, and cooperation, serving both Francophone and Lusophone states.
This ceremony was held in the presence of representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Planning and Development, the Ambassador of Liberia to Ivory Coast, as well as representatives from UNDP and UNICEF.