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FATF

About FATF

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What is FATF

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body decision-making body. It was established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris to develop policies against money laundering. It is a “policy-making body” which works to generate the political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in money laundering. It has also started dealing with virtual currencies. The FATF Secretariat is located in Paris.
 
What is the objective of FATF?
 
FATF sets standards and promotes effective implementation of:
 
a. legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering.
 
b. The FATF works to identify national-level vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse. 
 
How many members are there in FATF?
 
As of 2019, FATF consists of thirty-seven member jurisdictions.
 
Is India a member of the Financial Action Task Force?
 
India became an Observer at FATF in 2006. Since then, it had been working towards full-fledged membership. On June 25, 2010 India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.
 
FATF on terror financing
 
FATF's role in combating terror financing became prominent after the 9/11 terror attacks in the US. In 2001 its mandate expanded to include terrorism financing. Financing of terrorism involves providing money or financial support to terrorists. As of 2019, FATF has blacklisted North Korea and Iran over terror financing. Twelve countries are in the grey list, namely: Bahamas, Botswana, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Pakistan, Panama, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Yemen.
 
What as FATF 'grey list' and 'blacklist'?
 
FATF has 2 types of lists:
 
a.  Black List: Countries knowns as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities. The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.
 
b. Grey List: Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
 
FATF & Pakistan
 
Pakistan has been in the FATF grey list since June 2018 and has been asked to implement the FATF Action Plan fully by September 2019. It was in the same category from 2012 to 2015 too. Pakistan's inclusion in the grey list can be attributed to the fact that the country's anti-terror laws are still not in line with FATF standards and also with the latest UN resolution 2462 that pitches for criminalising terrorist financing. What Pakistan has mostly done in the past is detain both Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed for 'apprehension' of breach of peace. The FATF seeks freezing of funds, denial of weapons access and travel ban.
 
While there were some arrests of LeT, JeM, JuD cadres, they were all apprehended under the country's Maintenance of Public Order Act and not the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
 
Consequences of being in the FATF grey list:
 
Considered in the grey list may face
 
1. Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB 
 
2. Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries
 
3. Reduction in international trade
 
4. International boycott
 

Latest Updates on FATF

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Updated On: 17 Mar 2023 | 9:52 AM IST

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, took a dig at Congress and demanded that "Priyanka Gandhi came clean on who Mr. A was mentioned in the FATF case study?"

Updated On: 15 Mar 2023 | 11:46 AM IST

The FATF on Friday suspended Russia's membership for its "illegal, unprovoked and unjustified" full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, an official statement said

Updated On: 24 Feb 2023 | 11:48 PM IST

In his meeting with FATF chief T Raja Kumar, Shah emphasised that there is need for the FATF to continuously monitor the tendencies of some countries to sponsor terrorism.

Updated On: 19 Nov 2022 | 6:58 AM IST

FATF started out with 16 developed countries as members and added 12 by 1992. It has since expanded to the current list of 39 members

Updated On: 01 Nov 2022 | 7:23 AM IST

Earlier in February 2020, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran was put on blacklist by the anti-terror financing and anti-money laundering watchdog

Updated On: 27 Oct 2022 | 11:24 PM IST

Rupee trade with few nations may start, internationalisation will take time

Updated On: 25 Oct 2022 | 10:50 PM IST

Money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF has put Myanmar on the "black list" and has called on members to apply enhanced due diligence to business relations and transactions in Myanmar

Updated On: 22 Oct 2022 | 9:03 AM IST

The world should remain clear that Pakistan must continue to take "credible, verifiable and irreversible" action against terrorism, India said after FATF removed the country from 'grey list'

Updated On: 22 Oct 2022 | 6:44 AM IST

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the FATF's decision to remove his country from its grey list, describing the development as a vindication of our determined and sustained efforts over the years

Updated On: 21 Oct 2022 | 10:57 PM IST

Pakistan has been taken off from the grey list of the FATF, the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering, four years after the country was put in the infamous categorisation

Updated On: 21 Oct 2022 | 9:01 PM IST

After four years, Pakistan may exit the grey list of the global watchdog FATF, a development that will allow it to try to get foreign funding to tide over its precarious financial situation

Updated On: 20 Oct 2022 | 10:08 PM IST

Pakistan's junior foreign minister will attend the plenary session of the FATF in Paris during which the global anti-money laundering watchdog would discuss Islamabad's efforts to exit its grey list.

Updated On: 19 Oct 2022 | 6:47 AM IST

Pakistan is likely to exit the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) this week after it was placed in the infamous category since 2018 for failing to check money laundering

Updated On: 17 Oct 2022 | 7:01 PM IST

India, like many other countries, is currently not FATF-compliant on crypto assets

Updated On: 16 Sep 2022 | 11:13 PM IST

Under this immediate outcome', Pakistan extends international cooperation on appropriate information, financial intelligence, and evidence and facilitates action against criminals and their assets

Updated On: 13 Sep 2022 | 9:49 PM IST

A high-level team of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF quietly concluded a five-day visit to Pakistan

Updated On: 04 Sep 2022 | 11:27 PM IST

The decision to remove Russia's status was taken last month in Malaysia during the annual meeting of the APG

Updated On: 24 Aug 2022 | 1:07 PM IST

T. Raja Kumar of Singapore has been appointed as the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the anti-money laundering watchdog

Updated On: 02 Jul 2022 | 2:31 PM IST

This was done after FATF added UAE to the Grey List

Updated On: 01 Jul 2022 | 12:00 AM IST