The International Compliance Association (ICA), the leading professional body for the global regulatory and financial crime compliance community, has partnered with the Mexican Association of Ethics and Compliance Professionals (AMPEC) to offer ICA’s full suite of accredited qualifications in Mexico, including courses in Anti Money Laundering (AML), Anti-Corruption, Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Managing Sanctions Risk, among others.
According to official figures[1], the laundering of criminal proceeds in the Latin American country has increased on a yearly basis and is now equivalent to nearly 2% of its GDP, with at least 200 billion pesos — almost $10 billion — being laundered annually. New legislation passed in 2019 promises to strengthen the Mexican authorities’ ability to combat money laundering. However, compliance and money laundering reporting officers in the country continue to be confronted with significant ML risks stemming from rampant organised crime, such as drug trafficking, extortion, corruption, and tax evasion.
Mexico currently ranks 130 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s 2019 Corruption Perception Index, and its score on the CPI scale (in which 100 is very clean and 0 is highly corrupt) stands at 29. The coronavirus pandemic is poised to further exacerbate corruption risk in Mexico because of government priorities now being focused on COVID-19 and the economic impact of the pandemic.
Undertaken by over 142,000 professionals globally, ICA’s qualifications are designed to equip industry professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to mitigate and detect financial crime risk more effectively, combining global best practice, case studies, and practical advice. This new partnership will allow compliance professionals in Mexico to benefit from ICA’s international experience, spanning nearly two decades in over 130 countries worldwide, as well as AMPEC’s local market knowledge.
ICA President Bill Howarth commented: “Significant opportunities exist to develop a more robust and effective compliance programme in Mexico, and education and training should form a key component of government and private sector efforts in this regard. That’s why ICA is particularly proud to have partnered with the Mexican Association of Ethics and Compliance Professionals to develop best practice in the management of risk and help individuals, government institutions and organisations make a difference in the country’s multi-billion-dollar fight against corruption and financial crime."
Fernando Senties, President, AMPEC, added: "AMPEC was founded in 2017 in México as a non profit, by a group of professionals, to promote the professional development of Ethics & Compliance Officers in México through a formal professional association organisation. Today, it is the most relevant compliance organisation in the country, with close to 100 members representing the most relevant companies in Mexico, and more than 1250 followers.
AMPEC delivers many different courses, webinars and the annual Corporate Ethics and Compliance Congress. It also grants the annual award to the Compliance Officer of the year in alliance with other NGO's."
Fernando Cevallos, Vice President, AMPEC, also commented: “We are excited to start this journey together and successfully build these programmes in Mexico. Compliance in Mexico is growing and professionals are seeking specialised courses that will add value to their curricula and experience – for beginners to experienced professionals.”
ICA qualifications are an internationally recognised benchmark of excellence, and where stated, are awarded in association with The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School.
Click here to view the full suite of ICA qualifications.
References
[1] Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI); Ministry of Finance (2016)