ICA’s full suite of accredited qualifications will be offered in partnership with the Mexican Association of Ethics and Compliance Professionals
July 9, 2020 – 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 percent 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 organized 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 program 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 organizations make a difference in the country’s multibillion-dollar fight against corruption and financial crime.”
Fernando Cevallos, Vice President, AMPEC, added: “We are excited to start this journey together and successfully build these programs in Mexico. Compliance in Mexico is growing and professionals are seeking specialized courses that will add value to their curricula and experience – for beginners to experienced professionals.”
ICA qualifications are an internationally recognized benchmark of excellence awarded in association with The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School.
To view the full suite of qualifications, visit: https://www.int-comp.org/course-finder/
