FinCEN Issues Advisory Regarding FATF-Identified Jurisdictions with AML/CFT Deficiencies

International FinCEN Miscellany Anti-Money Laundering Combating the Financing of Terrorism

As part of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN’s) Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF’s) listing and monitoring process to ensure compliance with its international Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) standards, the FATF identifies certain jurisdictions as having “strategic deficiencies” in their AML/CFT regimes. The identified jurisdictions are listed in either of two documents: (i) the “FATF Public Statement”—which includes jurisdictions that are subject to the FATF’s call for countermeasures or are subject to Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) due to their AML/CFT deficiencies, and (ii) “Improving Global AML/CFT Compliance: on-going process 21 October 2016”—which includes jurisdictions identified by the FATF to have AML/CFT deficiencies.

On January 19, FinCEN released an advisory updating the list of jurisdictions in which any such “strategic deficiencies” have been identified. FinCen urged financial institutions to consider these lists, including any and all updates thereto when reviewing due diligence obligations and risk-based policies, procedures, and practices.

The jurisdictions identified in the FATF Public Statement included:

• Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and
• Iran.

The jurisdictions identified in Improving Global AML/CFT Compliance included:

• Afghanistan,
• Bosnia and Herzegovina,
• Iraq,
• Lao PDR,
• Syria,
• Uganda,
• Vanuatu, and
• Yemen.

Notably, Guyana, which was previously listed, has been removed from the October 2016 list.