International Organisations

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Additional information on observer international organisations

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD-OAS)

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Security Council, United Nations (UN CTC)

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

The EBRD was established in April 1991 in response to the unprecedented changes and challenges arising from the eastern European and central Asian countries' move from centrally planned economies to democratically governed market economies. The Bank was given the mandate to support this transformation.

Improving anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures in equity and debt transactions
As a major lender and investor in enterprises and financial institutions domiciled in its countries of operation, the EBRD has always sought to improve anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) measures. The Bank is also determined to ensure that all its operations have "transition impact", i.e. contribute to the transformation of its countries of operations from centrally planned economies to open market-oriented economies, and by insisting on satisfactory AML/CFT standards the EBRD assists the transition process.

Raising awareness of reform needs

The EBRD is also active beyond its purely financial operations. The EBRD seeks to raise awareness of policy makers and other interested parties about the legal, regulatory and market environment underpinning satisfactory AML/CFT measures in its countries of operations, in order to stimulate reform.

Next steps

As in the past, the Bank will emphasise the importance of adequate AML/CFT measures in its legal reform projects and other investment climate work with the governments of its countries of operations in co-operation with the World Bank, the IMF and other international financial institutions, and through its role as a prominent investor and lender. In addition, the EBRD will continue to participate in international initiatives developing AML/CFT standards, such as FATF and Moneyval.

The European Central Bank (ECB)

The ECB and the national central banks together constitute the Eurosystem, the central banking system of the euro area. The overriding policy objective for the euro is price stability. One of the basic tasks of the ECB and the Eurosystem is to promote the smooth operation of payment systems. More widely ECB and Eurosystem shall contribute to the smooth conduct of policies pursued by the competent authorities relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions and the stability of the financial system.

Against this background, like other central banks and major international organisations participating as observers to the FATF, the ECB supports an efficient and effective implementation of FATF recommendations in the combat of money laundering and the financing of terrorism financing. The ECB associates itself with the initiatives taken to strengthen international standards as well as the monitoring of their enforcement.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The IMF is contributing to global AML/CFT efforts in several important ways. As a collaborative institution with near universal membership, the IMF is a natural forum for sharing information, developing common approaches to issues, and promoting desirable policies and standards. The Fund has dedicated AML/CFT expertise. Two departments carry out the IMF’s AML/CFT efforts: the Monetary and Financial Systems Department and the Legal Department.

Following a March 2004 review of the pilot program of AML/CFT assessments, the IMF Executive Board agreed to make AML/CFT a regular part of IMF work. It also endorsed the revised FATF 40+8 Recommendations as the standard for which AML/CFT Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs) are prepared, as well as a revised methodology to assess compliance with that standard. More recently, the Executive Board further endorsed the new FATF Special Recommendation IX on Cash Couriers and the relevant changes in the methodology.

AML/CFT assessments are prepared within the framework of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), a joint IMF/World Bank initiative, which is specifically designed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of financial sectors. They are also carried out as part of assessments of Offshore Financial Centers.

Interpol

Anti Money Laundering

Specialised officers at Interpol review thousands of messages sent from member countries each year, routinely notifying investigators of previously unknown links between investigations in other countries. In the more significant and complex cases, the General Secretariat in Lyon serves as a clearinghouse for information and co-ordinates joint task force meetings. The primary vehicle for this is I-24/7, Interpol’s global police communications system. Using this system, investigators anywhere in the world can search and cross-check data with direct and immediate access to databases. With the addition of money laundering data, investigators will have one resource for both financial and police information.

Interpol’s Anti-Money Laundering Unit is committed to improving the effectiveness of co-operation between its partners in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing by identifying national liaison officers throughout the world to act as points of contact. Interpol’s Anti Money laundering Unit is also engaged in synergising initiatives with other organizations. This includes initiatives to improve information exchange especially with the financial intelligence units (FIUs). The Interpol General Secretariat is also increasingly participating in delivery of training and technical assistance on AML/CFT.

Countering Terrorism Financing

The counter terrorism task force within Interpol called Fusion Task Force focuses on the significant methods of money transfer by terrorists. It utilizes Interpol’s membership as a catalyst to collect information, to identify members of terrorist organizations and the logistical networks that support them. The analytical packages indicating the identified organizations, suspects or techniques that could pose a risk are then disseminated to the relevant members.
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The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD OAS)

Money Laundering Control

CICAD-OAS, a technical body of the Organization of American States, has been working in the area of money laundering control since the late 80s. In 1992 the Commission approved its Anti-Money Laundering Model Regulations and the following years CICAD’s Legal Development Department executed a number of projects within this field. In 1999 a new office, the Anti-Money Laundering Unit, was established in order to provide technical assistance and training to member states in judicial and financial measures to detect, monitor and prosecute money laundering crimes.
Financial Intelligence Units have been established and provided with the necessary computer equipment and staff training, in an ongoing program.

The CICAD Group of Experts on Money Laundering Control is the technical forum in which country experts debate, analyze and recommend actions on asset laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Group of Experts developed Model Regulations on money laundering offences, and the great majority of countries of the hemisphere have adopted most of the elements of these Regulations into their national laws.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

The OECD is giving priority to combating economic crimes such as corruption and tax fraud (see www.oecd.org/daf and www.oecd.org/ctp). Its Principles of Corporate Governance and its work on beneficial ownership is of direct relevance to the FATF. The OECD continues to closely examine the relationship between international bribery and money laundering. The OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (and the associated 1997 Revised Recommendation) requires signatory states to take measures dealing with the laundering of money derived from bribery of foreign public officials.

The Convention establishes a system of peer review to ensure that its signatories effectively implement the OECD anti-bribery instruments. Part of this process involves an examination of the effectiveness of anti-money laundering (AML) regimes as it applies to international bribery. The OECD’s Committee on Fiscal Affairs (CFA) has been working with the FATF since 1998 to improve international and domestic cooperation between tax and AML authorities as a way of enhancing governments’ ability to combat these activities.

Experts from OECD and FATF member and observer countries share experiences about how they combat these activities and country surveys have been produced that show if and how information can be exchanged between tax authorities and AML authorities.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

GPML Objectives

The Global Programme against Money Laundering (GPML) was established in 1997 in response to the mandate given by the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The broad objective of GPML, as a unit within the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is to strengthen the ability of UN Member States to implement measures in anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) and to assist them in detecting, seizing and confiscating illicit proceeds.

GPML fulfils its mandate principally through technical cooperation and assistance. It commits itself to providing a repository of best practices and information on AML/CFT and to promoting dissemination through its various initiatives. It focuses on assisting legal, financial, law enforcement and judicial authorities, as well as the private sector, to develop the necessary AML/CFT infrastructure. Over the years, GPML has developed and maintained strategic relationships and conducted many joint activities with partner international organizations working in this field.

In response to countries or group of countries requesting more specialized and in –depth assistance, GPML continues to deploy professional expertise in the form of mentors in the field to train people and build institutions, delivering direct technical assistance in states and regions to improve AML/CFT capacity. The reaction to mentoring, from assisted states and donors alike, has been extremely positive. Mentors don’t directly exercise sovereign national powers but they can advise, pass on the know-how and train those officials who are empowered to do so.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UN CTC)

The UN CTC, comprising all 15 members of the Security Council, was established by Resolution 1373 (2001) on 28 September 2001. Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter (concerning threats to international peace and security), the Security Council adopted the resolution to enforce counter-terrorist measures in United Nations Member States.

The Committee monitors implementation of resolution 1373 by means of direct dialogue with each Member State. It analyses States’ regular reports to the Committee, and follows up its analysis with responses that identify the areas in which States need to improve in order to achieve full implementation of the resolution. The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) was established in 2004 to support the Committee in this work.

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