International AML/CFT Bodies
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
Established in 1930, the BIS is owned by 60 central banks, representing countries from around the world that together account for about 95% of world GDP. Its head office is in Basel, Switzerland and it has two representative offices: in Hong Kong SAR and in Mexico City. BIS’s mission is to serve central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability, to foster international co-operation in those areas and to act as a bank for central banks. BIS regularly publishes related analyses and international banking and financial statistics that underpin policymaking, academic research and public debate.
The Egmont Group is a united body of 155 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs). The Egmont Group provides a platform for the secure exchange of expertise and financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF). FIUs are uniquely positioned to cooperate and support national and international efforts to counter terrorist financing and are the trusted gateway for sharing financial information domestically and internationally in accordance with global Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) standards. The Egmont Group supports the efforts of its international partners and other stakeholders to give effect to the resolutions and statements by the United Nations Security Council, the G20 Finance Ministers, and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sets the international standard for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and any other related threats of the international financial system. Formed in 1989 by the member governments of the G7 at the time, the FATF is an international body of governments that sets standards to prevent money laundering, financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and promotes the implementation of these standards.
INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organisation, with 192 member countries. The role of the organisation is to enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place. INTERPOL’s high-tech infrastructure of technical and operational support helps meet the growing challenges of fighting crime in the 21st century. INTERPOL aims to facilitate international police co-operation even where diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries. Action is taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG)
The Joint Money Laundering Steering Group is made up of the leading UK trade associations in the financial services industry. Its aim is to promulgate good practice in countering money laundering and to give practical assistance in interpreting the UK Money Laundering Regulations. This is primarily achieved by the publication of industry guidance.
Middle East and North Africa Region Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF)
This regional body, headquartered in Bahrain, was created on 30 November 2004 in recognition of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 Recommendations on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation, the related UN Conventions and UN Security Council Resolutions.
The current membership consists of 21 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
These countries work jointly to comply with the FATF and UN standards. The MENAFATF is voluntary and co-operative in nature and independent from any other international body or organisation. It sets its own work, regulations, rules and procedures and co-operates with other international bodies, notably the FATF, to achieve its objectives.
From surveying hundreds of thousands of people worldwide to mapping a country’s individual corruption risks, Transparency International’s national and global research looks at corruption from every angle. The organisation draws on more than 20 years of anti-corruption expertise to identify the underlying causes and offer tailored solutions. With more than 100 national chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, Transparency International works with partners in government, business and civil society to put effective measures in place to tackle corruption and stop the abuse of power, bribery and secret deals.
United Nations Security Council
Under the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. The Security Council also recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and the admission of new members to the United Nations. And, together with the General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice.
The Wolfsberg Group is an association of thirteen global banks which aims to develop frameworks and guidance for the management of financial crime risks, particularly with respect to Know Your Customer, Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing policies.
The Group came together in 2000, at the Château Wolfsberg in north-eastern Switzerland, in the company of representatives from Transparency International, to draft anti-money laundering guidelines for private banking. The Wolfsberg Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Principles for Private Banking were subsequently published in October 2000, revised in May 2002 and most recently in June 2012. Materials published by the Wolfsberg Group are designed to provide financial institutions with an industry perspective on effective financial crime risk management.
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