Sanctions Compliance and Geopolitical Risk Training Course

Introduction
In a rapidly changing global landscape, economic sanctions and geopolitical tensions pose significant risks to financial institutions, central banks, and international businesses. The Sanctions Compliance and Geopolitical Risk Training Course is designed to help professionals understand the complexities of evolving sanctions regimes and develop robust compliance programs to mitigate exposure to international regulatory actions. This course explores key sanctions frameworks—including those from OFAC, the EU, UN, and UK—and equips participants with strategies to navigate the intersections of global policy, financial integrity, and institutional reputation.

Over five focused days, the course provides comprehensive training on sanctions risk identification, customer and transaction screening, due diligence, and geopolitical risk analysis. Participants will engage with practical tools for real-time risk monitoring, sanctions list management, internal controls, and response planning for sudden regulatory changes. Through case studies and simulations, attendees will build capacity to protect their institutions against regulatory breaches, financial penalties, and reputational damage in a complex global environment.

Duration: 5 days

Target Audience:

  • Sanctions and compliance officers
  • Risk management professionals in financial institutions
  • Legal, audit, and regulatory affairs personnel
  • Central bank oversight and financial intelligence teams
  • International trade and payment processing managers

Course Objectives:

  • Understand global sanctions frameworks and regulatory requirements
  • Build an effective sanctions compliance program within your institution
  • Identify and mitigate geopolitical risks in financial transactions
  • Enhance due diligence, screening, and monitoring processes
  • Respond proactively to sanctions changes and geopolitical developments

Course Modules

  1. Introduction to Sanctions Compliance and Geopolitical Risk
  • Overview of sanctions: types, scope, and enforcement
  • Geopolitical risk as a driver of regulatory and financial exposure
  • Regulatory bodies and their global influence: OFAC, UN, EU, UK
  • Recent trends in sanctions-related enforcement and penalties
  • The importance of proactive compliance and strategic alignment
  1. Sanctions Programs and Regulatory Frameworks
  • Structure and objectives of U.S., EU, UK, and UN sanctions
  • Primary vs. secondary sanctions and extraterritorial reach
  • Sectoral, targeted, and comprehensive sanctions explained
  • Case examples of major sanctions episodes (e.g., Russia, Iran, North Korea)
  • Regulatory expectations for financial institutions and regulators
  1. Designing a Sanctions Compliance Program
  • Core components of a sanctions compliance framework
  • Governance structure, roles, and responsibilities
  • Risk-based approach to program design and implementation
  • Training, documentation, and institutional awareness
  • Integrating sanctions into enterprise-wide compliance programs
  1. Screening, Monitoring, and Filtering Techniques
  • Name and transaction screening: tools, software, and parameters
  • Watchlist management and sanctions list updates
  • False positives, filtering logic, and tuning alerts
  • Sanctions screening in real-time payments and trade finance
  • Quality assurance and periodic testing of screening systems
  1. Enhanced Due Diligence and High-Risk Client Management
  • Identifying politically exposed persons (PEPs) and sanctioned entities
  • Source of funds/source of wealth verification
  • Risk-based onboarding and periodic review protocols
  • Red flags and typologies in sanctions evasion
  • Escalation, investigation, and documentation procedures
  1. Geopolitical Risk Assessment and Scenario Planning
  • Tools for analyzing geopolitical developments and impact
  • Country risk ratings and regional conflict mapping
  • Scenario building for sanctions escalation or easing
  • Aligning business continuity with geopolitical risk outlooks
  • Role of intelligence, analytics, and horizon scanning
  1. Regulatory Reporting and Enforcement Response
  • Reporting obligations to regulatory and enforcement authorities
  • Managing breaches: internal investigations and self-reporting
  • Cooperation with regulators and response to audits
  • Remediation strategies and compliance strengthening
  • Legal liabilities and reputational risk mitigation
  1. Case Studies, Simulations, and Best Practices
  • High-profile enforcement case studies and key lessons
  • Simulated sanctions evasion detection exercise
  • Peer benchmarking of sanctions compliance maturity
  • Institutional response drills for geopolitical shifts
  • Final group exercise: design of a sanctions risk management plan

CERTIFICATION

  • Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

  • Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

  • Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com

 

Sanctions Compliance And Geopolitical Risk Training Course in Costa Rica
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