CountriesAll references in the FATF Recommendations to country or countries apply equally to territories or jurisdictions. should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. identify, assess, and understand the money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. risks All references to risk refer to the risk of money laundering and/or terrorist financing. This term should be read in conjunction with the Interpretive Note to Recommendation 1. for the country, and should take action, including designating an authority or mechanism to coordinate actions to assess risks, and apply resources, aimed at ensuring the risks are mitigated effectively. Based on that assessment, countries should apply a risk-based approach (RBA) to ensure that measures to prevent or mitigate money laundering and terrorist financing are commensurate with the risks identified. This approach should be an essential foundation to efficient allocation of resources across the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime and the implementation of riskbased measures throughout the FATF Recommendations. Where countries identify higher risks, they should ensure that their AML/CFT regime adequately addresses such risks. Where countries identify lower risks, they may decide to allow simplified measures for some of the FATF Recommendations under certain conditions.

Countries should also identify, assess, and understand the proliferation financing risks for the country. In the context of Recommendation 1, «proliferation financing risk» refers strictly and only to the potential breach, non-implementation or evasion of the targeted financial sanctions obligations referred to in Recommendation 7. Countries should take commensurate action aimed at ensuring that these risks are mitigated effectively, including designating an authority or mechanism to coordinate actions to assess risks, and allocate resources efficiently for this purpose. Where countries identify higher risks, they should ensure that they adequately address such risks. Where countries identify lower risks, they should ensure that the measures applied are commensurate with the level of proliferation financing risk, while still ensuring full implementation of the targeted financial sanctions as required in Recommendation 7.

Countries should require financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) to identify, assess and take effective action to mitigate their money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing risks.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. have national AML/CFT/CPF policies, informed by the risksProliferation financing risk refers strictly and only to the potential breach, non-implementation or evasion of the targeted financial sanctions obligations referred to in Recommendation 7. identified, which should be regularly reviewed, and should designate an authority or have a coordination or other mechanism that is responsible for such policies.

Countries should ensure that policy-makers, the financial intelligence unit (FIU), law enforcement authorities, supervisors and other relevant competent authorities, at the policymaking and operational levels, have effective mechanisms in place which enable them to cooperate, and, where appropriate, coordinate and exchange information domestically with each other concerning the development and implementation of policies and activities to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This should include cooperation and coordination between relevant authorities to ensure the compatibility of AML/CFT/CPF requirements with Data Protection and Privacy rules and other similar provisions (e. g. data security/localization).

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. criminalise money laundering on the basis of the Vienna Convention and the Palermo Convention. Countries should apply the crime of money laundering to all serious offences, with a view to including the widest range of predicate offences.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. adopt measures similar to those set forth in the Vienna Convention, the Palermo Convention, and the Terrorist Financing Convention, including legislative measures, to enable their competent authorities to freeze In the context of confiscation and provisional measures (e.g., Recommendations 4, 32 and 38), the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any property, equipment or other instrumentalities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism, or until a forfeiture or confiscation determination is made by a competent authority.
For the purposes of Recommendations 6 and 7 on the implementation of targeted financial sanctions, the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by designated persons or entities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by the United Nations Security Council or in accordance with applicable Security Council resolutions by a competent authority or a court.
In all cases, the frozen property, equipment, instrumentalities, funds or other assets remain the property of the natural or legal person(s) that held an interest in them at the time of the freezing and may continue to be administered by third parties, or through other arrangements established by such natural or legal person(s) prior to the initiation of an action under a freezing mechanism, or in accordance with other national provisions. As part of the implementation of a freeze, countries may decide to take control of the property, equipment, instrumentalities, or funds or other assets as a means to protect against flight. or seize The term seize means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of property on the basis of an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism. However, unlike a freezing action, a seizure is effected by a mechanism that allows the competent authority or court to take control of specified property. The seized property remains the property of the natural or legal person(s) that holds an interest in the specified property at the time of the seizure, although the competent authority or court will often take over possession, administration or management of the seized property. and confiscate the following, without prejudicing the rights of bona fide third parties: (a) property Property means assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, moveable or immoveable, tangible or intangible, and legal documents or instruments evidencing title to, or interest in such assets. laundered, (b) proceeds Proceeds refers to any property derived from or obtained, directly or indirectly, through the commission of an offence. from, or instrumentalities used in or intended for use in money laundering or predicate offences, (c) property that is the proceeds of, or used in, or intended or allocated for use in, the financing of terrorism, terrorist acts A terrorist act includes:
1) an act which constitutes an offence within the scope of, and as defined in one of the following treaties: (i) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (1970); (ii) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1971); (iii) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents (1973); (iv) International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (1979); (v) Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1980); (vi) Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1988); (vii) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation ( 2005); (viii) Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (2005); (ix) International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997); and (x) International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999).
2) any other act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a Government or an international organisation to do or to abstain from doing any act. or terrorist organisations The term terrorist organisation refers to any group of terrorists that: (i) commits, or attempts to commit, terrorist acts by any means, directly or indirectly, unlawfully and wilfully; (ii) participates as an accomplice in terrorist acts; (iii) organises or directs others to commit terrorist acts; or (iv) contributes to the commission of terrorist acts by a group of persons acting with a common purpose where the contribution is made intentionally and with the aim of furthering the terrorist act or with the knowledge of the intention of the group to commit a terrorist act., or (d) property of corresponding value.

Such measures should include the authority to: (a) identify, trace and evaluate property that is subject to confiscation; (b) carry out provisional measures, such as freezing and seizing, to prevent any dealing, transfer or disposal of such property; (c) take steps that will prevent or void actions that prejudice the country’s ability to freeze or seize The term seize means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of property on the basis of an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism. However, unlike a freezing action, a seizure is effected by a mechanism that allows the competent authority or court to take control of specified property. The seized property remains the property of the natural or legal person(s) that holds an interest in the specified property at the time of the seizure, although the competent authority or court will often take over possession, administration or management of the seized property. or recover property that is subject to confiscation; and (d) take any appropriate investigative measures.

Countries should consider adopting measures that allow such proceeds or instrumentalities to be confiscated without requiring a criminal conviction (non-conviction based confiscation Non-conviction based confiscation means confiscation through judicial procedures related to a criminal offence for which a criminal conviction is not required.), or which require an offender to demonstrate the lawful origin of the property alleged to be liable to confiscation, to the extent that such a requirement is consistent with the principles of their domestic law.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. criminalise terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. on the basis of the Terrorist Financing Convention, and should criminalise not only the financing of terrorist acts A terrorist act includes:
1) an act which constitutes an offence within the scope of, and as defined in one of the following treaties: (i) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (1970); (ii) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1971); (iii) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents (1973); (iv) International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (1979); (v) Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1980); (vi) Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1988); (vii) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation ( 2005); (viii) Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (2005); (ix) International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997); and (x) International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999).
2) any other act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a Government or an international organisation to do or to abstain from doing any act. but also the financing of terrorist organisations The term terrorist organisation refers to any group of terrorists that: (i) commits, or attempts to commit, terrorist acts by any means, directly or indirectly, unlawfully and wilfully; (ii) participates as an accomplice in terrorist acts; (iii) organises or directs others to commit terrorist acts; or (iv) contributes to the commission of terrorist acts by a group of persons acting with a common purpose where the contribution is made intentionally and with the aim of furthering the terrorist act or with the knowledge of the intention of the group to commit a terrorist act. and individual terrorists even in the absence of a link to a specific terrorist act or acts. Countries should ensure that such offences are designated as money laundering predicate offences.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. implement targeted financial sanctions regimes to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to the prevention and suppression of terrorism and terrorist financing. The resolutions require countries to freeze In the context of confiscation and provisional measures (e.g., Recommendations 4, 32 and 38), the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any property, equipment or other instrumentalities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism, or until a forfeiture or confiscation determination is made by a competent authority.
For the purposes of Recommendations 6 and 7 on the implementation of targeted financial sanctions, the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by designated persons or entities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by the United Nations Security Council or in accordance with applicable Security Council resolutions by a competent authority or a court.
In all cases, the frozen property, equipment, instrumentalities, funds or other assets remain the property of the natural or legal person(s) that held an interest in them at the time of the freezing and may continue to be administered by third parties, or through other arrangements established by such natural or legal person(s) prior to the initiation of an action under a freezing mechanism, or in accordance with other national provisions. As part of the implementation of a freeze, countries may decide to take control of the property, equipment, instrumentalities, or funds or other assets as a means to protect against flight. without delay The phrase without delay means, ideally, within a matter of hours of a designation by the United Nations Security Council or its relevant Sanctions Committee (e.g. the 1267 Committee, the 1988 Committee, the 1718 Sanctions Committee or the 1737 Sanctions Committee). For the purposes of S/RES/1373(2001), the phrase without delay means upon having reasonable grounds, or a reasonable basis, to suspect or believe that a person or entity is a terrorist, one who finances terrorism or a terrorist organisation. In both cases, the phrase without delay should be interpreted in the context of the need to prevent the flight or dissipation of funds or other assets which are linked to terrorists, terrorist organisations, those who finance terrorism, and to the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the need for global, concerted action to interdict and disrupt their flow swiftly. the funds or other assets of, and to ensure that no funds or other assets are made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of, any person or entity either (i) designated by, or under the authority of, the United Nations Security Council under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, including in accordance with resolution 1267 (1999) and its successor resolutions; or (ii) designated by that countryAll references in the FATF Recommendations to country or countries apply equally to territories or jurisdictions. pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001).

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. implement targeted financial sanctions The term targeted financial sanctions means both asset freezing and prohibitions to prevent funds or other assets from being made available, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of designated persons and entities. to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to the prevention, suppression and disruption of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and its financing. These resolutions require countries to freeze In the context of confiscation and provisional measures (e.g., Recommendations 4, 32 and 38), the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any property, equipment or other instrumentalities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism, or until a forfeiture or confiscation determination is made by a competent authority.
For the purposes of Recommendations 6 and 7 on the implementation of targeted financial sanctions, the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by designated persons or entities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by the United Nations Security Council or in accordance with applicable Security Council resolutions by a competent authority or a court.
In all cases, the frozen property, equipment, instrumentalities, funds or other assets remain the property of the natural or legal person(s) that held an interest in them at the time of the freezing and may continue to be administered by third parties, or through other arrangements established by such natural or legal person(s) prior to the initiation of an action under a freezing mechanism, or in accordance with other national provisions. As part of the implementation of a freeze, countries may decide to take control of the property, equipment, instrumentalities, or funds or other assets as a means to protect against flight. without delay The phrase without delay means, ideally, within a matter of hours of a designation by the United Nations Security Council or its relevant Sanctions Committee (e.g. the 1267 Committee, the 1988 Committee, the 1718 Sanctions Committee or the 1737 Sanctions Committee). For the purposes of S/RES/1373(2001), the phrase without delay means upon having reasonable grounds, or a reasonable basis, to suspect or believe that a person or entity is a terrorist, one who finances terrorism or a terrorist organisation. In both cases, the phrase without delay should be interpreted in the context of the need to prevent the flight or dissipation of funds or other assets which are linked to terrorists, terrorist organisations, those who finance terrorism, and to the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the need for global, concerted action to interdict and disrupt their flow swiftly. the funds The term funds refers to assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, however acquired, and legal documents or instruments in any form, including electronic or digital, evidencing title to, or interest in, such assets. or other assets of, and to ensure that no funds and other assets are made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of, any person or entity designated by, or under the authority of, the United Nations Security Council under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

Countries should review the adequacy of laws and regulations that relate to non-profit organizations which the country has identified as being vulnerable to terrorist financing abuse. Countries should apply focused and proportionate measures, in line with the risk-based approach, to such non-profit organizations to protect them from terrorist financing abuse, including:

1. by terrorist organisations The term terrorist organisation refers to any group of terrorists that: (i) commits, or attempts to commit, terrorist acts by any means, directly or indirectly, unlawfully and wilfully; (ii) participates as an accomplice in terrorist acts; (iii) organises or directs others to commit terrorist acts; or (iv) contributes to the commission of terrorist acts by a group of persons acting with a common purpose where the contribution is made intentionally and with the aim of furthering the terrorist act or with the knowledge of the intention of the group to commit a terrorist act. posing as legitimate entities;
2. to exploit legitimate entities as conduits for terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., including for the purpose of escaping asset-freezing measures; and
3. to conceal or obscure the clandestine diversion of funds The term funds refers to assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, however acquired, and legal documents or instruments in any form, including electronic or digital, evidencing title to, or interest in, such assets. intended for legitimate purposes to terrorist organisations.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. ensure that financial institution secrecy laws do not inhibit implementation of the FATF Recommendations.

Financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be prohibited from keeping anonymous accountsReferences to “accounts” should be read as including other similar business relationships between financial institutions and their customers. or accountsReferences to “accounts” should be read as including other similar business relationships between financial institutions and their customers. in obviously fictitious names.

Financial institutions should be required to undertake customer due diligence (CDD) measures when:

1. establishing business relations;
2. carrying out occasional transactions: (i) above the applicable designated threshold (USD/EUR 15,000); or (ii) that are wire transfers in the circumstances covered by the Interpretive Note to Recommendation 16;
3. there is a suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.; or
4. the financial institution has doubts about the veracity or adequacy of previously obtained customer identification data The term identification data refers to reliable, independent source documents, data or information..

The principle that financial institutions should conduct CDD should be set out in law. Each countryAll references in the FATF Recommendations to country or countries apply equally to territories or jurisdictions. may determine how it imposes specific CDD obligations, either through law or enforceable means Please refer to the Note on the Legal Basis of requirements on Financial Institutions and DNFBPs..

The CDD measures to be taken are as follows:

1. Identifying the customer and verifying that customer’s identity using reliable, independent source documents, data or information.
2. Identifying the beneficial ownerBeneficial owner refers to the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls a customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted. It also includes those persons who exercise ultimate effective control over a legal person or arrangement., and taking reasonable measures The term Reasonable Measures means: appropriate measures which are commensurate with the money laundering or terrorist financing risks. to verify the identity of the beneficial ownerBeneficial owner refers to the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls a customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted. It also includes those persons who exercise ultimate effective control over a legal person or arrangement., such that the financial institution is satisfied Where reference is made to a financial institution being satisfied as to a matter, that institution must be able to justify its assessment to competent authorities. that it knows who the beneficial owner is. For legal persons Legal persons refers to any entities other than natural persons that can establish a permanent customer relationship with a financial institution or otherwise own property. This can include companies, bodies corporate, foundations, anstalt, partnerships, or associations and other relevantly similar entities. and arrangements this should include financial institutions understanding the ownership and control structure of the customer.
3. Understanding and, as appropriate, obtaining information on the purpose and intended nature of the business relationship.
4. Conducting ongoing due diligence on the business relationship and scrutiny of transactions undertaken throughout the course of that relationship to ensure that the transactions being conducted are consistent with the institution’s knowledge of the customer, their business and risk profile, including, where necessary, the source of funds The term funds refers to assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, however acquired, and legal documents or instruments in any form, including electronic or digital, evidencing title to, or interest in, such assets..

Financial institutions should be required to apply each of the CDD measures under (a) to (d) above, but should determine the extent of such measures using a risk-based approach (RBA) in accordance with the Interpretive Notes to this Recommendation and to Recommendation 1.

Financial institutions should be required to verify the identity of the customer and beneficial ownerBeneficial owner refers to the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls a customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted. It also includes those persons who exercise ultimate effective control over a legal person or arrangement. before or during the course of establishing a business relationship or conducting transactions for occasional customers. Countries may permit financial institutions to complete the verification as soon as reasonably practicable following the establishment of the relationship, where the money laundering and terrorist financing risks are effectively managed and where this is essential not to interrupt the normal conduct of business.

Where the financial institution is unable to comply with the applicable requirements under paragraphs (a) to (d) above (subject to appropriate modification of the extent of the measures on a risk-based approach), it should be required not to open the account, commence business relations or perform the transaction; or should be required to terminate the business relationship; and should consider making a suspicious transactions report in relation to the customer.

These requirements should apply to all new customers, although financial institutions should also apply this Recommendation to existing customers on the basis of materiality and risk All references to risk refer to the risk of money laundering and/or terrorist financing. This term should be read in conjunction with the Interpretive Note to Recommendation 1., and should conduct due diligence on such existing relationships at appropriate times.

Financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required to maintain, for at least five years, all necessary records on transactions, both domestic and international, to enable them to comply swiftly with information requests from the competent authorities. Such records must be sufficient to permit reconstruction of individual transactions (including the amounts and types of currency Currency refers to banknotes and coins that are in circulation as a medium of exchange. involved, if any) so as to provide, if necessary, evidence for prosecution of criminal activity Criminal activity refers to: (a) all criminal acts that would constitute a predicate offence for money laundering in the country; or (b) at a minimum to those offences that would constitute a predicate offence as required by Recommendation 3..

Financial institutions should be required to keep all records obtained through CDD measures (e.g. copies or records of official identification documents like passports, identity cards, driving licences or similar documents), account files and business correspondence, including the results of any analysis undertaken (e.g. inquiries to establish the background and purpose of complex, unusual large transactions), for at least five years after the business relationship is ended, or after the date of the occasional transaction.

Financial institutions should be required by law to maintain records on transactions and information obtained through the CDD measures.

The CDD information and the transaction records should be available to domestic competent authorities upon appropriate authority.

Financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required, in relation to foreign politically exposed persons (PEPs) (whether as customer or beneficial ownerBeneficial owner refers to the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls a customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted. It also includes those persons who exercise ultimate effective control over a legal person or arrangement.), in addition to performing normal customer due diligence measures, to:

1. have appropriate risk-management systems to determine whether the customer or the beneficial owner is a politically exposed person;
2. obtain senior management approval for establishing (or continuing, for existing customers) such business relationships;
3. take reasonable measures The term Reasonable Measures means: appropriate measures which are commensurate with the money laundering or terrorist financing risks. to establish the source of wealth and source of funds The term funds refers to assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, however acquired, and legal documents or instruments in any form, including electronic or digital, evidencing title to, or interest in, such assets.; and
4. conduct enhanced ongoing monitoring of the business relationship.

Financial institutions should be required to take reasonable measures to determine whether a customer or beneficial owner is a domestic PEP or a person who is or has been entrusted with a prominent function by an international organisation. In cases of a higher risk All references to risk refer to the risk of money laundering and/or terrorist financing. This term should be read in conjunction with the Interpretive Note to Recommendation 1. business relationship with such persons, financial institutions should be required to apply the measures referred to in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d).

The requirements for all types of PEP should also apply to family members or close associates of such PEPs.

Financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required, in relation to cross-border Correspondent bankingCorrespondent banking is the provision of banking services by one bank (the “correspondent bank”) to another bank (the “respondent bank”). Large international banks typically act as correspondents for thousands of other banks around the world. Respondent banks may be provided with a wide range of services, including cash management (e.g. interest-bearing accounts in a variety of currencies), international wire transfers cheque clearing, payable-through accounts and foreign exchange services. and other similar relationships, in addition to performing normal customer due diligence measures, to:

1. gather sufficient information about a respondent institution to understand fully the nature of the respondent’s business and to determine from publicly available information the reputation of the institution and the quality of supervision, including whether it has been subject to a money laundering or terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. investigation or regulatory action;
2. assess the respondent institution’s AML/CFT controls;
3. obtain approval from senior management before establishing new correspondent relationships;
4. clearly understand the respective responsibilities of each institution; and
5. with respect to “payable-through accountsReferences to “accounts” should be read as including other similar business relationships between financial institutions and their customers.”, be satisfied that the respondent bank has conducted CDD on the customers having direct access to accountsReferences to “accounts” should be read as including other similar business relationships between financial institutions and their customers. of the correspondent bank, and that it is able to provide relevant CDD information upon request to the correspondent bank.

Financial institutions should be prohibited from entering into, or continuing, a correspondent banking relationship with shell banks Shell bank means a bank that has no physical presence in the country in which it is incorporated and licensed, and which is unaffiliated with a regulated financial group that is subject to effective consolidated supervision.
Physical presence means meaningful mind and management located within a country. The existence simply of a local agent or low level staff does not constitute physical presence.. Financial institutions should be required to satisfy themselves that respondent institutions do not permit their accounts to be used by shell banks.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. take measures to ensure that natural or legal persons Legal persons refers to any entities other than natural persons that can establish a permanent customer relationship with a financial institution or otherwise own property. This can include companies, bodies corporate, foundations, anstalt, partnerships, or associations and other relevantly similar entities. that provide Money or value transfer services money or value transfer services (MVTS) refers to financial services that involve the acceptance of cash, cheques, other monetary instruments or other stores of value and the payment of a corresponding sum in cash or other form to a beneficiary by means of a communication, message, transfer, or through a clearing network to which the MVTS provider belongs. Transactions performed by such services can involve one or more intermediaries and a final payment to a third party, and may include any new payment methods. Sometimes these services have ties to particular geographic regions and are described using a variety of specific terms, including hawala, hundi, and fei-chen. (MVTS) are licensed or registered, and subject to effective systems for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the relevant measures called for in the FATF Recommendations. Countries should take action to identify natural or legal persons that carry out MVTS without a license or registration, and to apply appropriate sanctions.

Any natural or legal person working as an agentsFor the purposes of Recommendations 14 and 16, agent means any natural or legal person providing MVTS on behalf of an MVTS provider, whether by contract with or under the direction of the MVTS provider. should also be licensed or registered by a competent authority, or the MVTS provider should maintain a current list of its agents accessible by competent authorities in the countries in which the MVTS provider and its agents operate. Countries should take measures to ensure that MVTS providers that use agents include them in their AML/CFT programmes and monitor them for compliance with these programmes.

Any natural or legal person working as an agentsFor the purposes of Recommendations 14 and 16, agent means any natural or legal person providing MVTS on behalf of an MVTS provider, whether by contract with or under the direction of the MVTS provider. should also be licensed or registered by a competent authority, or the MVTS provider should maintain a recommendations list of its agents accessible by competent authorities in the countries in which the MVTS provider and its agents operate. Countries should take measures to ensure that MVTS providers that use agents include them in their AML/CFT programmes and monitor them for compliance with these programmes.

Countries and financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. identify and assess the money laundering or terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. risks All references to risk refer to the risk of money laundering and/or terrorist financing. This term should be read in conjunction with the Interpretive Note to Recommendation 1. that may arise in relation to (a) the development of new products and new business practices, including new delivery mechanisms, and (b) the use of new or developing technologies for both new and pre-existing products. In the case of financial institutions, such a risk assessment should take place prior to the launch of the new products, business practices or the use of new or developing technologies. They should take appropriate measures to manage and mitigate those risks.

To manage and mitigate the risks emerging from virtual assets, countries should ensure that virtual asset service providers are regulated for AML/CFT purposes, and licensed or registered and subject to effective systems for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the relevant measures called for in the FATF Recommendations.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. ensure that financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
include required and accurateis used to describe information that has been verified for accuracy. originator refers to the account holder who allows the wire transfer from that account, or where there is no account, the natural or legal person that places the order with the ordering financial institution to perform the wire transfer. information, and required beneficiaryrefers to the natural or legal person or legal arrangement who is identified by the originator as the receiver of the requested wire transfer. information, on wire transfers and related messages, and that the information remains with the wire transfer or related message throughout the payment chain.

Countries should ensure that financial institutions monitor wire transfers for the purpose of detecting those which lack required originator and/or beneficiary information, and take appropriate measures.

Countries should ensure that, in the context of processing wire transfers, financial institutions take freezing action and should prohibit conducting transactions with designated persons and entities, as per the obligations set out in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, such as resolution 1267 (1999) and its successor resolutions, and resolution 1373(2001), relating to the prevention and suppression of terrorism and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations..

Countries may permit financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
to rely on third parties to perform elements (a)-(c) of the CDD measures set out in Recommendation 10 or to introduce business, provided that the criteria set out below are met. Where such reliance is permitted, the ultimate responsibility for CDD measures remains with the financial institution relying on the third party.

The criteria that should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be met are as follows:

1. A financial institution relying upon a third party should immediately obtain the necessary information concerning elements (a)-(c) of the CDD measures set out in Recommendation 10.
2. Financial institutions should take adequate steps to satisfy themselves that copies of identification data The term identification data refers to reliable, independent source documents, data or information. and other relevant documentation relating to the CDD requirements will be made available from the third party upon request without delay The phrase without delay means, ideally, within a matter of hours of a designation by the United Nations Security Council or its relevant Sanctions Committee (e.g. the 1267 Committee, the 1988 Committee, the 1718 Sanctions Committee or the 1737 Sanctions Committee). For the purposes of S/RES/1373(2001), the phrase without delay means upon having reasonable grounds, or a reasonable basis, to suspect or believe that a person or entity is a terrorist, one who finances terrorism or a terrorist organisation. In both cases, the phrase without delay should be interpreted in the context of the need to prevent the flight or dissipation of funds or other assets which are linked to terrorists, terrorist organisations, those who finance terrorism, and to the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the need for global, concerted action to interdict and disrupt their flow swiftly..
3. The financial institution should satisfy itself that the third party is regulated, supervised or monitored for, and has measures in place for compliance with, CDD and record-keeping requirements in line with Recommendations 10 and 11.
4. When determining in which countries the third party that meets the conditions can be based, countries should have regard to information available on the level of country risk All references to risk refer to the risk of money laundering and/or terrorist financing. This term should be read in conjunction with the Interpretive Note to Recommendation 1..

When a financial institution relies on a third party that is part of the same financial group Financial group means a group that consists of a parent company or of any other type of legal person exercising control and coordinating functions over the rest of the group for the application of group supervision under the Core Principles, together with branches and/or subsidiaries that are subject to AML/CFT policies and procedures at the group level., and (i) that group applies CDD and record-keeping requirements, in line with Recommendations 10, 11 and 12, and programmes against money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., in accordance with Recommendation 18; and (ii) where the effective implementation of those CDD and record-keeping requirements and AML/CFT programmes is supervised at a group level by a competent authority, then relevant competent authorities may consider that the financial institution applies measures under (b) and (c) above through its group programme, and may decide that (d) is not a necessary precondition to reliance when higher country risk is adequately mitigated by the group AML/CFT policies.

Financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required to implement programmes against money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.. Financial groups should be required to implement groupwide programmes against money laundering and terrorist financing, including policies and procedures for sharing information within the group for AML/CFT purposes.

Financial institutions should be required to ensure that their foreign branches and majorityowned subsidiaries apply AML/CFT measures consistent with the home countryAll references in the FATF Recommendations to country or countries apply equally to territories or jurisdictions. requirements implementing the FATF Recommendations through the financial groups’ programmes against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Financial institutions should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required to apply enhanced due diligence measures to business relationships and transactions with natural and legal persons Legal persons refers to any entities other than natural persons that can establish a permanent customer relationship with a financial institution or otherwise own property. This can include companies, bodies corporate, foundations, anstalt, partnerships, or associations and other relevantly similar entities., and financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
, from countries for which this is called for by the FATF. The type of enhanced due diligence measures applied should be effective and proportionate to the risks.

Countries should be able to apply appropriate countermeasures when called upon to do so by the FATF. Countries should also be able to apply countermeasures independently of any call by the FATF to do so. Such countermeasures should be effective and proportionate to the risks.

If a financial institution suspects or has reasonable grounds to suspect that funds The term funds refers to assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, however acquired, and legal documents or instruments in any form, including electronic or digital, evidencing title to, or interest in, such assets. are the proceeds Proceeds refers to any property derived from or obtained, directly or indirectly, through the commission of an offence. of a criminal activity Criminal activity refers to: (a) all criminal acts that would constitute a predicate offence for money laundering in the country; or (b) at a minimum to those offences that would constitute a predicate offence as required by Recommendation 3., or are related to terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., it should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required, by law, to report promptly its suspicions to the financial intelligence unit (FIU).

Financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
, their directors, officers and employees should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be:

1. protected by law from criminal and civil liability for breach of any restriction on disclosure of information imposed by contract or by any legislative, regulatory or administrative provision, if they report their suspicions in good faith to the FIU, even if they did not know precisely what the underlying criminal activity Criminal activity refers to: (a) all criminal acts that would constitute a predicate offence for money laundering in the country; or (b) at a minimum to those offences that would constitute a predicate offence as required by Recommendation 3. was, and regardless of whether illegal activity actually occurred; and
2. prohibited by law from disclosing (“tipping-off”) the fact that a suspicious transaction report (STR) or related information is being filed with the FIU. These provisions are not intended to inhibit information sharing under Recommendation 18.

The customer due diligence and record-keeping requirements set out in Recommendations 10, 11, 12, 15, and 17, apply to designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) in the following situations:

1. Casinos – when customers engage in financial transactions equal to or above the applicable designated threshold.
2. Real estate agentsFor the purposes of Recommendations 14 and 16, agent means any natural or legal person providing MVTS on behalf of an MVTS provider, whether by contract with or under the direction of the MVTS provider. – when they are involved in transactions for their client concerning the buying and selling of real estate.
3. Dealers in precious metals and dealers in precious stones – when they engage in any cash transaction with a customer equal to or above the applicable designated threshold.
4. Lawyers, notaries, other independent legal professionals and accountants – when they prepare for or carry out transactions for their client concerning the following activities:
   • buying and selling of real estate;
   • managing of client money, securities or other assets;
   • management of bank, savings or securities accountsReferences to “accounts” should be read as including other similar business relationships between financial institutions and their customers.;
   • organisation of contributions for the creation, operation or management of companies;
   • creation, operation or management of legal persons Legal persons refers to any entities other than natural persons that can establish a permanent customer relationship with a financial institution or otherwise own property. This can include companies, bodies corporate, foundations, anstalt, partnerships, or associations and other relevantly similar entities. or arrangements, and buying and selling of business entities.
5. Trust and company service providers – when they prepare for or carry out transactions for a client concerning the following activities:
   • acting as a formation agentFor the purposes of Recommendations 14 and 16, agent means any natural or legal person providing MVTS on behalf of an MVTS provider, whether by contract with or under the direction of the MVTS provider. of legal persons;
   • acting as (or arranging for another person to act as) a director or secretary of a company, a partner of a partnership, or a similar position in relation to other legal persons;
   • providing a registered office, business address or accommodation, correspondence or administrative address for a company, a partnership or any other legal person or arrangement;
   • acting as (or arranging for another person to act as) a trustee The terms trust and trustee should be understood as described in and consistent with Article 2 of the Hague Convention on the law applicable to trusts and their recognition
     Trustees may be professional (e.g. depending on the jurisdiction, a lawyer or trust company) if they are paid to act as a trustee in the course of their business, or non-professional (e.g. a person acting without reward on behalf of family). of an express trust Express trust refers to a trust clearly created by the settlor, usually in the form of a document e.g. a written deed of trust. They are to be contrasted with trusts which come into being through the operation of the law and which do not result from the clear intent or decision of a settlor Settlors are natural or legal persons who transfer ownership of their assets to trustees by means of a trust deed or similar arrangement. to create a trust or similar legal arrangements (e.g. constructive trust). or performing the equivalent function for another form of legal arrangement;
   • acting as (or arranging for another person to act as) a nominee shareholder for another person.

The requirements set out in Recommendations 18 to 21 apply to all designated non-financial businesses and professions, subject to the following qualifications:

1. Lawyers, notaries, other independent legal professionals and accountants should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be required to report suspicious transactions when, on behalf of or for a client, they engage in a financial transaction in relation to the activities described in paragraph (d) of Recommendation 22. Countries are strongly encouraged to extend the reporting requirement to the rest of the professional activities of accountants, including auditing.
2. Dealers in precious metals and dealers in precious stones should be required to report suspicious transactions when they engage in any cash transaction with a customer equal to or above the applicable designated threshold.
3. Trust and company service providers should be required to report suspicious transactions for a client when, on behalf of or for a client, they engage in a transaction in relation to the activities referred to in paragraph (e) of Recommendation 22.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. take measures to prevent the misuse of legal persons for money laundering or terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.. Countries should ensure that there is adequate, accurateis used to describe information that has been verified for accuracy. and timely information on the beneficial ownership and control of legal persons that can be obtained or accessed in a timely fashion by competent authorities. In particular, countries that have legal persons that are able to issue bearer sharesBearer shares refers to negotiable instruments that accord ownership in a legal person to the person who possesses the bearer share certificate. or bearer share warrants, or which allow nominee shareholders or nominee directors, should take effective measures to ensure that they are not misused for money laundering or terrorist financing. Countries should consider measures to facilitate access to beneficial ownership and control information by financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
and DNFBPs undertaking the requirements set out in Recommendations 10 and 22.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. take measures to prevent the misuse of legal arrangements for money laundering or terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.. In particular, countries should ensure that there is adequate, accurateis used to describe information that has been verified for accuracy. and timely information on express trusts Express trust refers to a trust clearly created by the settlor, usually in the form of a document e.g. a written deed of trust. They are to be contrasted with trusts which come into being through the operation of the law and which do not result from the clear intent or decision of a settlor to create a trust or similar legal arrangements (e.g. constructive trust)., including information on the settlor, trustee The terms trust and trustee should be understood as described in and consistent with Article 2 of the Hague Convention on the law applicable to trusts and their recognition
Trustees may be professional (e.g. depending on the jurisdiction, a lawyer or trust company) if they are paid to act as a trustee in the course of their business, or non-professional (e.g. a person acting without reward on behalf of family). and beneficiaries, that can be obtained or accessed in a timely fashion by competent authorities. Countries should consider measures to facilitate access to beneficial ownership and control information by financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
and DNFBPs undertaking the requirements set out in Recommendations 10 and 22.

Countries should ensure that financial institutions are subject to adequate regulation and supervision and are effectively implementing the FATF Recommendations. Competent authorities or financial supervisors should take the necessary legal or regulatory measures to prevent criminals or their associates from holding, or being the beneficial ownerBeneficial owner refers to the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls a customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted. It also includes those persons who exercise ultimate effective control over a legal person or arrangement. of, a significant or controlling interest, or holding a management function in, a financial institution. Countries should not approve the establishment, or continued operation, of shell banks.

For financial institutions subject to the Core PrinciplesCore Principles refers to the Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Objectives and Principles for Securities Regulation issued by the International Organization of Securities Commissions, and the Insurance Supervisory Principles issued by the International Association of Insurance Supervisors., the regulatory and supervisory measures that apply for prudential purposes, and which are also relevant to money laundering and terrorist financing, should apply in a similar manner for AML/CFT purposes. This should include applying consolidated group supervision for AML/CFT purposes.

Other financial institutions should be licensed or registered and adequately regulated, and subject to supervision or monitoring for AML/CFT purposes, having regard to the risk of money laundering or terrorist financing in that sector. At a minimum, where financial institutions provide a service of money or value transfer, or of money or currency Currency refers to banknotes and coins that are in circulation as a medium of exchange. changing, they should be licensed or registered, and subject to effective systems for monitoring and ensuring compliance with national AML/CFT requirements.

Supervisors should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. have adequate powers to supervise or monitor, and ensure compliance by, financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
with requirements to combat money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., including the authority to conduct inspections. They should be authorised to compel production of any information from financial institutions that is relevant to monitoring such compliance, and to impose sanctions, in line with Recommendation 35, for failure to comply with such requirements. Supervisors should have powers to impose a range of disciplinary and financial sanctions, including the power to withdraw, restrict or suspend the financial institution’s license, where applicable.

Designated non-financial businesses and professions should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be subject to regulatory and supervisory measures as set out below.

1. Casinos should be subject to a comprehensive regulatory and supervisory regime that ensures that they have effectively implemented the necessary AML/CFT measures. At a minimum:
   • casinos should be licensed;
   • competent authorities should take the necessary legal or regulatory measures to prevent criminals or their associates from holding, or being the beneficial ownerBeneficial owner refers to the natural person(s) who ultimately owns or controls a customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted. It also includes those persons who exercise ultimate effective control over a legal person or arrangement. of, a significant or controlling interest, holding a management function in, or being an operator of, a casino; and
   • competent authorities should ensure that casinos are effectively supervised for compliance with AML/CFT requirements.

2. Countries should ensure that the other categories of DNFBPs are subject to effective systems for monitoring and ensuring compliance with AML/CFT requirements. This should be performed on a risk-sensitive basis. This may be performed by (a) a supervisor or (b) by an appropriate self-regulatory body (SRB) A SRB is a body that represents a profession (e.g. lawyers, notaries, other independent legal professionals or accountants), and which is made up of members from the profession, has a role in regulating the persons that are qualified to enter and who practise in the profession, and also performs certain supervisory or monitoring type functions. Such bodies should enforce rules to ensure that high ethical and moral standards are maintained by those practising the profession., provided that such a body can ensure that its members comply with their obligations to combat money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations..

   The supervisor or SRB should also (a) take the necessary measures to prevent criminals or their associates from being professionally accredited, or holding or being the beneficial owner of a significant or controlling interest or holding a management function, e.g. through evaluating persons on the basis of a “fit and proper” test; and (b) have effective, proportionate, and dissuasive sanctions in line with Recommendation 35 available to deal with failure to comply with AML/CFT requirements.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. establish a financial intelligence unit (FIU) that serves as a national centre for the receipt and analysis of: (a) suspicious transaction reports; and (b) other information relevant to money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., and for the dissemination of the results of that analysis. The FIU should be able to obtain additional information from reporting entities, and should have access on a timely basis to the financial, administrative and law enforcement information that it requires to undertake its functions properly.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. ensure that designated law enforcement authorities have responsibility for money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. investigations within the framework of national AML/CFT policies. At least in all cases related to major proceeds-generating offences, these designated law enforcement authorities should develop a pro-active parallel financial investigation when pursuing money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing. This should include cases where the associated predicate offence occurs outside their jurisdictions. Countries should ensure that competent authorities have responsibility for expeditiously identifying, tracing and initiating actions to freeze In the context of confiscation and provisional measures (e.g., Recommendations 4, 32 and 38), the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any property, equipment or other instrumentalities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism, or until a forfeiture or confiscation determination is made by a competent authority.
For the purposes of Recommendations 6 and 7 on the implementation of targeted financial sanctions, the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by designated persons or entities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by the United Nations Security Council or in accordance with applicable Security Council resolutions by a competent authority or a court.
In all cases, the frozen property, equipment, instrumentalities, funds or other assets remain the property of the natural or legal person(s) that held an interest in them at the time of the freezing and may continue to be administered by third parties, or through other arrangements established by such natural or legal person(s) prior to the initiation of an action under a freezing mechanism, or in accordance with other national provisions. As part of the implementation of a freeze, countries may decide to take control of the property, equipment, instrumentalities, or funds or other assets as a means to protect against flight. and seize The term seize means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of property on the basis of an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism. However, unlike a freezing action, a seizure is effected by a mechanism that allows the competent authority or court to take control of specified property. The seized property remains the property of the natural or legal person(s) that holds an interest in the specified property at the time of the seizure, although the competent authority or court will often take over possession, administration or management of the seized property. property Property means assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, moveable or immoveable, tangible or intangible, and legal documents or instruments evidencing title to, or interest in such assets. that is, or may become, subject to confiscationThe term confiscation, which includes forfeiture where applicable, means the permanent deprivation of funds or other assets by order of a competent authority or a court. Confiscation or forfeiture takes place through a judicial or administrative procedure that transfers the ownership of specified funds or other assets to be transferred to the State. In this case, the person(s) or entity(ies) that held an interest in the specified funds or other assets at the time of the confiscation or forfeiture loses all rights, in principle, to the confiscated or forfeited funds or other assets. Confiscation or forfeiture orders are usually linked to a criminal conviction or a court decision whereby the confiscated or forfeited property is determined to have been derived from or intended for use in a violation of the law., or is suspected of being proceeds Proceeds refers to any property derived from or obtained, directly or indirectly, through the commission of an offence. of crime. Countries should also make use, when necessary, of permanent or temporary multi-disciplinary groups specialised in financial or asset investigations. Countries should ensure that, when necessary, cooperative investigations with appropriate competent authorities in other countries take place.

When conducting investigations of money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., competent authorities should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. be able to obtain access to all necessary documents and information for use in those investigations, and in prosecutions and related actions. This should include powers to use compulsory measures for the production of records held by financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
, DNFBPs and other natural or legal persons Legal persons refers to any entities other than natural persons that can establish a permanent customer relationship with a financial institution or otherwise own property. This can include companies, bodies corporate, foundations, anstalt, partnerships, or associations and other relevantly similar entities., for the search of persons and premises, for taking witness statements, and for the seizure and obtaining of evidence.

Countries should ensure that competent authorities conducting investigations are able to use a wide range of investigative techniques suitable for the investigation of money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing. These investigative techniques include: undercover operations, intercepting communications, accessing computer systems and controlled delivery. In addition, countries should have effective mechanisms in place to identify, in a timely manner, whether natural or legal persons hold or control accountsReferences to �accounts� should be read as including other similar business relationships between financial institutions and their customers.. They should also have mechanisms to ensure that competent authorities have a process to identify assets without prior notification to the owner. When conducting investigations of money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing, competent authorities should be able to ask for all relevant information held by the FIU.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. have measures in place to detect the physical cross-border transportation refers to any in-bound or out-bound physical transportation of currency or BNIs from one country to another country. The term includes the following modes of transportation: (1) physical transportation by a natural person, or in that person's accompanying luggage or vehicle; (2) shipment of currency or BNIs through containerised cargo or (3) the mailing of currency or BNIs by a natural or legal person. of currency Currency refers to banknotes and coins that are in circulation as a medium of exchange. and bearer negotiable instrumentsBearer negotiable instruments (BNIs) includes monetary instruments in bearer form such as: traveller's cheques; negotiable instruments (including cheques, promissory notes and money orders) that are either in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title thereto passes upon delivery; incomplete instruments (including cheques, promissory notes and money orders) signed, but with the payee's name omitted., including through a declaration system and/or disclosure system.

Countries should ensure that their competent authorities have the legal authority to stop or restrain currency or bearer negotiable instruments that are suspected to be related to terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., money laundering or predicate offences, or that are falsely declared or disclosed.

Countries should ensure that effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions are available to deal with persons who make false declaration refers to a misrepresentation of the value of currency or BNIs being transported, or a misrepresentation of other relevant data which is required for submission in the declaration or otherwise requested by the authorities. This includes failing to make a declaration as required. (s) or disclosure(s). In cases where the currency or bearer negotiable instruments are related to terrorist financing, money laundering or predicate offences, countries should also adopt measures, including legislative ones consistent with Recommendation 4, which would enable the confiscationThe term confiscation, which includes forfeiture where applicable, means the permanent deprivation of funds or other assets by order of a competent authority or a court. Confiscation or forfeiture takes place through a judicial or administrative procedure that transfers the ownership of specified funds or other assets to be transferred to the State. In this case, the person(s) or entity(ies) that held an interest in the specified funds or other assets at the time of the confiscation or forfeiture loses all rights, in principle, to the confiscated or forfeited funds or other assets. Confiscation or forfeiture orders are usually linked to a criminal conviction or a court decision whereby the confiscated or forfeited property is determined to have been derived from or intended for use in a violation of the law. of such currency or instruments.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. maintain comprehensive statistics on matters relevant to the effectiveness and efficiency of their AML/CFT systems. This should include statistics on the STRs received and disseminated; on money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. investigations, prosecutions and convictions; on property frozen, seized The term seize means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of property on the basis of an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism. However, unlike a freezing action, a seizure is effected by a mechanism that allows the competent authority or court to take control of specified property. The seized property remains the property of the natural or legal person(s) that holds an interest in the specified property at the time of the seizure, although the competent authority or court will often take over possession, administration or management of the seized property. and confiscated; and on mutual legal assistance or other international requests for cooperation.

The competent authorities, supervisors Supervisors refers to the designated competent authorities or non-public bodies with responsibilities aimed at ensuring compliance by financial institutions ("financial supervisors") Including Core Principles supervisors who carry out supervisory functions that are related to the implementation of the FATF Recommendations.) and/or DNFBPs with requirements to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Non-public bodies (which could include certain types of SRBs) should have the power to supervise and sanction financial institutions or DNFBPs in relation to the AML/CFT requirements. These nonpublic bodies should also be empowered by law to exercise the functions they perform, and be supervised by a competent authority in relation to such functions. and SRBs should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. establish guidelines, and provide feedback, which will assist financial institutionsFinancial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
and designated non-financial businesses and professions in applying national measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., and, in particular, in detecting and reporting suspicious transactions.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. ensure that there is a range of effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions, whether criminal, civil or administrative, available to deal with natural or legal persons Legal persons refers to any entities other than natural persons that can establish a permanent customer relationship with a financial institution or otherwise own property. This can include companies, bodies corporate, foundations, anstalt, partnerships, or associations and other relevantly similar entities. covered by Recommendations 6, and 8 to 23, that fail to comply with AML/CFT requirements. Sanctions should be applicable not only to financial institutions Financial institutions means any natural or legal person who conducts as abusiness one or more of the following activities or operations for or on behalf of a customer:
1) Acceptance of deposits and other repayable funds from the public.
2) Lending.
3) Financial leasing.
4) Money or value transfer services.
5) Issuing and managing means of payment (e.g. credit and debit cards,cheques, traveller's cheques, money orders and bankers' drafts, electronic money).
6) Financial guarantees and commitments.
7) Trading in:
a) money market instruments (cheques, bills, certificates of deposit, derivatives etc.);
b) foreign exchange;
c) exchange, interest rate and index instruments;
d) transferable securities;
8) Participation in securities issues and the provision of financial services related to such issues.
9) Individual and collective portfolio management.
11) Otherwise investing, administering or managing funds or money on behalf of other persons.
12) Underwriting and placement of life insurance and other investment related insurance.
13) Money and currency changing.
and DNFBPs, but also to their directors and senior management.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. take immediate steps to become party to and implement fully the Vienna Convention, 1988; the Palermo Convention, 2000; the United Nations Convention against Corruption, 2003; and the Terrorist Financing Convention, 1999. Where applicable, countries are also encouraged to ratify and implement other relevant international conventions, such as the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, 2001; the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, 2002; and the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and confiscationThe term confiscation, which includes forfeiture where applicable, means the permanent deprivation of funds or other assets by order of a competent authority or a court. Confiscation or forfeiture takes place through a judicial or administrative procedure that transfers the ownership of specified funds or other assets to be transferred to the State. In this case, the person(s) or entity(ies) that held an interest in the specified funds or other assets at the time of the confiscation or forfeiture loses all rights, in principle, to the confiscated or forfeited funds or other assets. Confiscation or forfeiture orders are usually linked to a criminal conviction or a court decision whereby the confiscated or forfeited property is determined to have been derived from or intended for use in a violation of the law. of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism, 2005.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. rapidly, constructively and effectively provide the widest possible range of mutual legal assistance in relation to money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations. investigations, prosecutions, and related proceedings. Countries should have an adequate legal basis for providing assistance and, where appropriate, should have in place treaties, arrangements or other mechanisms to enhance cooperation. In particular, countries should:

1. Not prohibit, or place unreasonable or unduly restrictive conditions on, the provision of mutual legal assistance.
2. Ensure that they have clear and efficient processes for the timely prioritisation and execution of mutual legal assistance requests. Countries should use a central authority, or another established official mechanism, for effective transmission and execution of requests. To monitor progress on requests, a case management system should be maintained.
3. Not refuse to execute a request for mutual legal assistance on the sole ground that the offence is also considered to involve fiscal matters.
4. Not refuse to execute a request for mutual legal assistance on the grounds that laws require financial institutions or DNFBPs to maintain secrecy or confidentiality (except where the relevant information that is sought is held in circumstances where legal professional privilege or legal professional secrecy applies).
5. Maintain the confidentiality of mutual legal assistance requests they receive and the information contained in them, subject to fundamental principles of domestic law This refers to the basic legal principles upon which national legal systems are based and which provide a framework within which national laws are made and powers are exercised. These fundamental principles are normally contained or expressed within a national Constitution or similar document, or through decisions of the highest level of court having the power to make binding interpretations or determinations of national law. Although it will vary from country to country, some examples of such fundamental principles include rights of due process, the presumption of innocence, and a person�s right to effective protection by the courts., in order to protect the integrity of the investigation or inquiry. If the requested countryAll references in the FATF Recommendations to country or countries apply equally to territories or jurisdictions. cannot comply with the requirement of confidentiality, it should promptly inform the requesting country.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. render mutual legal assistance, notwithstanding the absence of dual criminality, if the assistance does not involve coercive actions. Countries should consider adopting such measures as may be necessary to enable them to provide a wide scope of assistance in the absence of dual criminality.

Where dual criminality is required for mutual legal assistance, that requirement should be deemed to be satisfied regardless of whether both countries place the offence within the same category of offence, or denominate the offence by the same terminology, provided that both countries criminalise the conduct underlying the offence.

Countries should ensure that, of the powers and investigative techniques required under Recommendation 31, and any other powers and investigative techniques available to their competent authorities:

1. all those relating to the production, search and seizure of information, documents or evidence (including financial records) from financial institutions or other persons, and the taking of witness statements; and
2. a broad range of other powers and investigative techniques;

are also available for use in response to requests for mutual legal assistance, and, if consistent with their domestic framework, in response to direct requests from foreign judicial or law enforcement authorities to domestic counterparts.

To avoid conflicts of jurisdiction, consideration should be given to devising and applying mechanisms for determining the best venue for prosecution of defendants in the interests of justice in cases that are subject to prosecution in more than one country.

Countries should, when making mutual legal assistance requests, make best efforts to provide complete factual and legal information that will allow for timely and efficient execution of requests, including any need for urgency, and should send requests using expeditious means. Countries should, before sending requests, make best efforts to ascertain the legal requirements and formalities to obtain assistance.

The authorities responsible for mutual legal assistance (e.g. a Central Authority) should be provided with adequate financial, human and technical resources. Countries should have in place processes to ensure that the staff of such authorities maintain high professional standards, including standards concerning confidentiality, and should be of high integrity and be appropriately skilled.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. ensure that they have the authority to take expeditious action in response to requests by foreign countries to identify, freeze In the context of confiscation and provisional measures (e.g., Recommendations 4, 32 and 38), the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any property, equipment or other instrumentalities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism, or until a forfeiture or confiscation determination is made by a competent authority.
For the purposes of Recommendations 6 and 7 on the implementation of targeted financial sanctions, the term freeze means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of any funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by designated persons or entities on the basis of, and for the duration of the validity of, an action initiated by the United Nations Security Council or in accordance with applicable Security Council resolutions by a competent authority or a court.
In all cases, the frozen property, equipment, instrumentalities, funds or other assets remain the property of the natural or legal person(s) that held an interest in them at the time of the freezing and may continue to be administered by third parties, or through other arrangements established by such natural or legal person(s) prior to the initiation of an action under a freezing mechanism, or in accordance with other national provisions. As part of the implementation of a freeze, countries may decide to take control of the property, equipment, instrumentalities, or funds or other assets as a means to protect against flight. , seize The term seize means to prohibit the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of property on the basis of an action initiated by a competent authority or a court under a freezing mechanism. However, unlike a freezing action, a seizure is effected by a mechanism that allows the competent authority or court to take control of specified property. The seized property remains the property of the natural or legal person(s) that holds an interest in the specified property at the time of the seizure, although the competent authority or court will often take over possession, administration or management of the seized property. and confiscate property Property means assets of every kind, whether corporeal or incorporeal, moveable or immoveable, tangible or intangible, and legal documents or instruments evidencing title to, or interest in such assets. laundered; proceeds Proceeds refers to any property derived from or obtained, directly or indirectly, through the commission of an offence. from money laundering, predicate offences and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.; instrumentalities used in, or intended for use in, the commission of these offences; or property of corresponding value. This authority should include being able to respond to requests made on the basis of non-conviction-based confiscationThe term confiscation, which includes forfeiture where applicable, means the permanent deprivation of funds or other assets by order of a competent authority or a court. Confiscation or forfeiture takes place through a judicial or administrative procedure that transfers the ownership of specified funds or other assets to be transferred to the State. In this case, the person(s) or entity(ies) that held an interest in the specified funds or other assets at the time of the confiscation or forfeiture loses all rights, in principle, to the confiscated or forfeited funds or other assets. Confiscation or forfeiture orders are usually linked to a criminal conviction or a court decision whereby the confiscated or forfeited property is determined to have been derived from or intended for use in a violation of the law. proceedings and related provisional measures, unless this is inconsistent with fundamental principles of their domestic law. Countries should also have effective mechanisms for managing such property, instrumentalities or property of corresponding value, and arrangements for coordinating seizure and confiscation proceedings, which should include the sharing of confiscated assets.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. constructively and effectively execute extradition requests in relation to money laundering and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations., without undue delay. Countries should also take all possible measures to ensure that they do not provide safe havens for individuals charged with the financing of terrorism, terrorist acts A terrorist act includes:
1) an act which constitutes an offence within the scope of, and as defined in one of the following treaties: (i) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (1970); (ii) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1971); (iii) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents (1973); (iv) International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (1979); (v) Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1980); (vi) Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1988); (vii) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation ( 2005); (viii) Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (2005); (ix) International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997); and (x) International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999).
2) any other act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a Government or an international organisation to do or to abstain from doing any act. or terrorist organisations The term terrorist organisation refers to any group of terrorists that: (i) commits, or attempts to commit, terrorist acts by any means, directly or indirectly, unlawfully and wilfully; (ii) participates as an accomplice in terrorist acts; (iii) organises or directs others to commit terrorist acts; or (iv) contributes to the commission of terrorist acts by a group of persons acting with a common purpose where the contribution is made intentionally and with the aim of furthering the terrorist act or with the knowledge of the intention of the group to commit a terrorist act.. In particular, countries should:

1. ensure money laundering and terrorist financing are extraditable offences;
2. ensure that they have clear and efficient processes for the timely execution of extradition requests including prioritisation where appropriate. To monitor progress of requests a case management system should be maintained;
3. not place unreasonable or unduly restrictive conditions on the execution of requests; and
4. ensure they have an adequate legal framework for extradition.

Each countryAll references in the FATF Recommendations to country or countries apply equally to territories or jurisdictions. should either extradite its own nationals, or, where a country does not do so solely on the grounds of nationality, that country should, at the request of the country seeking extradition, submit the case, without undue delay, to its competent authorities for the purpose of prosecution of the offences set forth in the request. Those authorities should take their decision and conduct their proceedings in the same manner as in the case of any other offence of a serious nature under the domestic law of that country. The countries concerned should cooperate with each other, in particular on procedural and evidentiary aspects, to ensure the efficiency of such prosecutions.

Where dual criminality is required for extradition, that requirement should be deemed to be satisfied regardless of whether both countries place the offence within the same category of offence, or denominate the offence by the same terminology, provided that both countries criminalise the conduct underlying the offence.

Consistent with fundamental principles of domestic law This refers to the basic legal principles upon which national legal systems are based and which provide a framework within which national laws are made and powers are exercised. These fundamental principles are normally contained or expressed within a national Constitution or similar document, or through decisions of the highest level of court having the power to make binding interpretations or determinations of national law. Although it will vary from country to country, some examples of such fundamental principles include rights of due process, the presumption of innocence, and a person�s right to effective protection by the courts., countries should have simplified extradition mechanisms, such as allowing direct transmission of requests for provisional arrests between appropriate authoritiesRefers to competent authorities, including accrediting institutions, and self-regulatory bodies., extraditing persons based only on warrants of arrests or judgments, or introducing a simplified extradition of consenting persons who waive formal extradition proceedings. The authorities responsible for extradition should be provided with adequate financial, human and technical resources. Countries should have in place processes to ensure that the staff of such authorities maintain high professional standards, including standards concerning confidentiality, and should be of high integrity and be appropriately skilled.

Countries should For the purposes of assessing compliance with the FATF Recommendations, the word should has the same meaning as must. ensure that their competent authorities can rapidly, constructively and effectively provide the widest range of international cooperation in relation to money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.. Countries should do so both spontaneously and upon request, and there should be a lawful basis for providing cooperation. Countries should authorise their competent authorities to use the most efficient means to cooperate. Should a competent authority need bilateral or multilateral agreements or arrangements, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), these should be negotiated and signed in a timely way with the widest range of foreign counterparts Foreign counterparts refers to foreign competent authorities that exercise similar responsibilities and functions in relation to the cooperation which is sought, even where such foreign competent authorities have a different nature or status (e.g. depending on the country, AML/CFT supervision of certain financial sectors may be performed by a supervisor that also has prudential supervisory responsibilities or by a supervisory unit of the FIU)..

Competent authorities should use clear channels or mechanisms for the effective transmission and execution of requests for information or other types of assistance. Competent authorities should have clear and efficient processes for the prioritisation and timely execution of requests, and for safeguarding the information received.