The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) has partnered with Vendra – a leading training organization in Azerbaijan, to deliver its flagship and industry gold-standard Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) Certification beginning October 2019. The partnership is aimed at advancing the knowledge of professionals and institutions seeking to improve compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and countering of financing of terrorism (CFT) regulations, with an added emphasis on the obligations of correspondent banks to improve such relationships.

The push for stronger awareness of the responsibilities of correspondent banks is aimed at helping institutions in Azerbaijan develop a strong compliance culture to understand risks, evaluate their anti-financial crime framework, and embed the appropriate policies, procedures and controls. This will in turn help these institutions meet international standards and recommendations – a critical factor in creating and maintaining correspondent banking relationships.

“The practice of correspondent banking is particularly vulnerable to money-laundering and terrorist financing. Correspondent banking services in recent years have become targets for de-risking by major financial institutions and jurisdictions, which leads to reduced financial transparency and financial exclusion,” said Rohit Sharma, CAMS, president and managing director of ACAMS.

“Our mission is to end financial crimes and mitigate risk through deep expertise and constant professional development. Our training strives to prepare professionals in the field, and being part of the largest global community of financial crime prevention professionals also means there is a vast pool of knowledge, resources and expertise that can be tapped,” he added.

“Vendra is honoured to partner with ACAMS and significantly boost the level of AML/CFT compliance awareness in the country by organizing learning events for local professionals. We anticipate that each financial institution will strive to have a minimum of 1-2 certified AML/CFT personnel, which is consistent with the goal of local regulatory bodies to demonstrate a strong culture of compliance aligned with global standards,” said Leyla Salimzade, CAMS, director of VENDRA LTD.

About the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists® (ACAMS®)

ACAMS is a member of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a leading workforce solutions provider headquartered in the United States. ACAMS is the largest international membership organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime professionals from a wide range of industries. Its CAMS certification is the most widely recognized AML certification among compliance professionals worldwide. Its new Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) certification commences in January 2020 and study materials are available from October 2019. Visit acams.org for more information.

About Adtalem Global Education

The purpose of Adtalem Global Education is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community. Adtalem Global Education Inc. (NYSE: ATGE; member S&P MidCap 400 Index) is a leading workforce solutions provider and the parent organization of Adtalem Educacional do Brasil (IBMEC, Damásio and Wyden institutions), American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education, Chamberlain University, EduPristine, OnCourse Learning, Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, please visit adtalem.com and follow us on Twitter (@adtalemglobal) and LinkedIn.

About Vendra

VENDRA is the first education and training center in Azerbaijan that focuses on AML/CFT and compliance training and offers a comprehensive suite of training and consulting services aimed at helping institutions develop a strong AML/CFT compliance culture. Visit vendra.org for more information.