COFICERT
COFICERT certifies NSIA Bank CI to the AML 30000 standard

Press Release

Paris, 26th of December 2023 – 13h30

COFICERT certifies NSIA Bank CI to the AML 30000 standard

COFICERT France announces that it has awarded NSIA Bank CI (CI0000002416 – NSBC) with the AML 30000 certificate of conformity, the international standard dedicated to the fight against money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT).

The certificate was delivered, during a ceremony held in Abidjan, on Monday December 18, 2023, in the presence of Mr. Léonce YACE (General Director of NSIA Bank Ivory Coast), Mr. Souheil SKANDER (General Director of CFC Partners) and Mr. Cristian MOCANU (Secretary General of COFICERT France). The event was also able to count on the remote intervention of Ms. Isabelle SCHOONWATER (President of the AML Committee within the IGSF), Ms. Véronique DE LA BACHELERIE (President of the IGSF – International Group for Sustainable Finance, which governs internationally the AML 30000 standard), and Mr. Christian LEVESQUE (co-author and president of several ISO delegations including ISO 37000 and ISO 37001).

In a rapidly changing global context, the continued upsurge in financial crime is forcing international regulations and sanctions to be increasingly strict and pushing financial players to exercise increased vigilance. Guarding against the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing is becoming strategic for financial institutions, as these evils are carefully observed and scrupulously monitored on an international scale.

On a national and regional scale, NSIA Bank CI is a highly expending bank having engaged significant modernization and optimization projects. Also, as part of the development of its local and international activities, the bank is resolutely oriented towards the integration of these subjects and the perfect control of the inherent risks.

In a rapidly changing geographic and regulatory context, AML 30000 certification offers an undeniable competitive advantage. This is all the more true in a competitive environment and evolving ecosystems in which stakeholders are looking for reliable and independent benchmarks. AML 30000 certification complements and reinforces the efforts and the surveillance measures of regulators, to consolidate national systems to combat the phenomenon of money laundering and terrorist financing.

The certification ceremony was opened by Mr. Souheil SKANDER, Managing Director of CFC Partners, historical support of international certification bodies in Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Skander highlighted the efforts made upstream by NSIA Bank CI, enabling it to claim AML 30000 certification, specifying: “The evaluation process, which was carried out by our teams over a period of 5 months, under the strict respect of the ISO 17021 standard, confirms the compliance of the NSIA Bank CI AML/CFT system with the AML 30000 standard. A complete report, justified and argued in every point according with the AML specifications, was presented and then submitted to the committee in Paris”.

For Mr. Cristian MOCANU, Secretary General of COFICERT, leader in financial and non-financial certification activities, “This achievement not only positions NSIA Bank CI as a key player in the African banking sector, but also demonstrates its unwavering contribution to the dissemination of good practices on the continent and the promotion of financial integrity in Ivory Coast and more generally in Africa. Mr. MOCANU also recalled that the certificate has a validity period of 3 years, accompanied by an annual evaluation, thus inviting NSIA Bank CI to maintain and strengthen its efforts in matters of AML/CFT.

Concluding the ceremony, Mr. Léonce YACE, Managing Director of NSIA Bank CI indicated: “This step guarantees our ecosystem and our stakeholders the establishment of a robust system for the active fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism. We attach great importance to the compliance of our management system and this certification demonstrates our unwavering commitment to respecting the strictest standards for preserving financial integrity and controlling the risks of financial crime. »

The speeches were followed by the official delivery of the certificate of conformity by Mr Souheil Skander and Mr Cristian Mocanu, representatives respectively of CFC Partners and COFICERT France, who intervened, under the supervision of the IGSF (International Group for Sustainable Finance).

     NSIA BANK CI

A subsidiary of the Pan-African NSIA Group, present in 12 countries and leader in Insurance and Banking, NSIA Bank CI is part of the Group’s banking division, integrating 3 banks (Ivory Coast, Benin, Guinea) and 2 branches (Senegal, Togo) in West Africa. Listed on the Regional Securities Exchange (BRVM), the Bank today has more than 80 points of sale in Ivory Coast, has a fleet of more than 120 ATMs, as well as a representative office in Paris (France) dedicated to the diaspora. From then on, it positions itself as the preferred partner of Individuals and Businesses. It contributes significantly to the development of the Ivorian economy through the financing of several projects, which has earned it three prizes of excellence awarded by the State of Côte d’Ivoire, including that of “Best Establishment in the Financial Sector » in the category “Field of economic and financial management” in 2018.

     COFICERT 

COFICERT is a French certification body, specialized in financial and non-financial certifications, operating in nearly 40 countries over 3 continents. COFICERT operates historically with, and alongside, international certification and standardization bodies. The organization brings together experts in governance, financial crime and sustainable finance. COFICERT certifies on the following topics : good financial governance (MSI 20000), social responsibility (ESG 1000), the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism (AML 30000) and the fight against corruption (ISO 37001).
 

    AML 30000 

The AML 30000 Standard (AML for Anti-Money Laundering – index 30000) is the international standard dedicated to the fight against money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT); intended for financial institutions and certain non-financial businesses and professions, designated as “subject persons” by the FATF. Certification to the AML 30000 Standard aims to protect and reassure the various stakeholders against the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. The standard is governed internationally by the IGSF (International Group for Sustainable Finance).

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