Implementation of New Biometric Passports in Uzbekistan Following the presidential decree on Measures for Further Improvement of the Passport System of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2009, the PCUz has been supporting the Government actions in this area in accordance with international standards. The PCUz had launched an ExB project aimed to support the process of introducing a new e-passport system and further facilitating Uzbekistan’s intention to join the ICAO PKD to raise awareness of the security value of machine-readable travel documents (MRTD) and to increase the level of trust in MRTD produced in Uzbekistan. Within the framework of the ongoing ExB project, on 10 February, the PCUz handed over equipment to the representatives of Uzbekistan’s Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs to support the government's efforts in improving the national passport system and to introduce biometric identity and travel documents. During the ceremony, Equipment Loan Agreements were signed by Uzbek officials and the PCUz, and 32 sets of desktop computers and diesel generators were handed over, to be used by the passport offices throughout the country, especially in remote areas. From 25 April to 5 May, the PCUz and the ATU co-organized a study visit for an Uzbek delegation to Canada and the USA. This delegation comprised members of the government’s inter-agency working group responsible for the process of improving the national passport system and included senior representatives from the National Security Council under the President, the State Personalization Centre, the National Security Service, the MoI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the printing house. During this visit, several meetings were arranged to exchange experience and best practices on introducing, issuing and handling national identity and travel documents. Financial Investigations On 11-15 July, the PCUz organized the participation of an Uzbek delegation to the Plenary Meeting of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. During the Plenary, the Uzbek FIU - together with FIUs from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mali, Morocco, Samoa Islands and Solomon Islands - were endorsed as new members of the Egmont Group, which then comprised of 127 members. The PCUz actively supported the accession process during 2010 and 2011. The delegation members as well as the PCUz representative also took part in the sessions during the week, focusing on some of the legal, policy and operational challenges, that FIUs face, as well as the partnerships of the Egmont Group with other international organizations. On 22-23 September, the PCUz conducted a two-day training course on “Advanced Compliance on AML/CFT” for the compliance officers of the commercial banks accredited in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The training course was provided by a consultant of the AntiMoney Laundering Academy (CCL Academy). The interactive training covered day-to-day activities of the compliance departments, dealing with suspicious transactions, code of conduct, ethical issues and communication with regulator and law enforcement agencies. On 3-4 November, the PCUz, together with the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and the EAG, organized a seminar on “Countering Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism” in Tashkent. More than 100 staff responsible for the implementation of the anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism regime in the non-banking credit organizations of Uzbekistan, including organizations granting micro credits and other nonbanking financial institutions, took part in the seminar. The aim of the seminar was to support the development of administrative structures to help prevent and combat such threats. Experts from the International Training Centre on Financial Monitoring established by Russia’s Federal Service on Financial Monitoring and from the Russian Finance University shared their expertise on international standards and control functions. 124