The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) is an inter-governmental organisation, consisting of 41 member jurisdictions including Australia, focused on ensuring that its members effectively implement the international standards against money laundering and the financing of terrorism contained in the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
In its 2018-19 Business Plan the APG outlines its key goals and strategies to achieve them, as well as other key tasks for the period.
Key tasks
The APG identifies a number of key tasks for 2018-19:
Governance
- Key meetings – such as the 22nd APG annual meeting and annual forum on technical assistance and training in July 2019. As an associate member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the APG will participate in additional meetings such as FATF working group meetings.
- Membership-related visits – to facilitate membership and promote commitment to the global AML/CFT standards.
- Communication with members – e.g. information from the FATF or other AML/CFT bodies
Mutual evaluations
The APG will undertake regular mutual evaluations, prepare and analyse reports, deliver assessor training workshops and review the progress of members.
Implementation, technical assistance and ICRG activities
The APG will:
- Provide priority assistance and support for members involved in the FATF’s International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) process.
- Assist members to develop and implement strategies to meet mutual evaluation report recommendations.
- Provide implementation assistance relating to combating proliferation financing.
- Deliver regional programs to strengthen capacities in the areas of AML/CFT enforcement, prosecution and investigations.
Typologies
The APG conducts an annual typologies workshop, and works with members on a number of important projects across areas such as human trafficking, terrorist financing and drug crime.
Key goals and strategies
The APG’s 2018-2019 Business Plan outlines three strategic goals:
1) Operating effectively as a multilateral organisation;
2) Working cooperatively within the global network of FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs) and also among individual APG members and delegates; and
3) Conducting mutual evaluations and ensuring that members respond effectively to those evaluations.
The plan also details key business activities against the strategic plan indicators.
Goal 1: effective multilateral organisation
Include all relevant regional and international stakeholders in the work of the APG
- Encourage bilateral and multilateral engagement between members and observer jurisdictions to advance strategic objectives.
- Continue engagement with a range of groups such as FATF, World Bank, UN agencies and the Egmont Group through conferences, workshops and technical assistance activities.
Ensure effective governance structures
- Deliver 22nd Annual Meeting in July 2019.
- Implement revised governance and strategic mechanisms to address a growing workload
- Regularly consult with members to provide ongoing advice on governance, policy and planning issues
Resourcing the APG, fund and activity management
- Support of operations by members through budget and resource contributions, project support and working group participation
- Accurate reporting of APG revenue and expenditure
- Investing in additional resources to manage workload challenges
Participate in international AML/CFT policy development and standard setting processes
- Participate in FATF plenaries, working groups and other inter-sessional meetings.
- Coordinate input to FATF and other bodies’ projects, policy development, assessment work and studies of risks, trends and methods.
Goal 2: working cooperatively and supporting implementation
Support research on AML/CTF risks and contextual issues
- Delivering typologies projects and workshops
- Various other project work, such as tracking illicit flows relating to human trafficking
Identify domestic and regional issues that affect implementation of FATF standards
- Identify domestic and regional assistance needs and implementation issues
- Identify opportunities for enhanced international cooperation
Provide guidance, advice, and technical assistance on implementation of FATF standards
- Support on topics including risk assessments, international cooperation, investigating and prosecuting ML, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and risk-based supervision of financial and non-financial sectors.
- Technical assistance visits, workshops and desk-based assistance.
Support the coordination of technical assistance between members and relevant providers of assistance
- Deliver technical assistance and training programmes
- Collect information and analyse gaps in members’ AML/CFT systems.
Goal 3: conducting and responding to assessments
Conduct the APG’s third round mutual evaluation programme
- Complete 2019 mutual evaluation reports: China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Chinese Taipei
- Commence mutual evaluations to be adopted at the 2020 annual meeting: Japan, Republic of Korea, Vietnam and Tonga
Respond to mutual evaluations with follow up processes
- Implement transitional mutual evaluation follow-up procedures to monitor members’ progress
- Document and make decisions in cases of insufficient progress
Support the mutual evaluation programme and follow-up with experts, training and procedures
- Members and observers to provide assessors and reviewers for evaluations including participating in pre-evaluation visits, face-to-face meetings and plenary meetings to adopt reports.
- Deliver assessor and pre-mutual evaluation training workshops
- Provide support to members undergoing mutual evaluations
Participate in the FATF’s International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG)
- Provide assistance, advice and engagement with members and technical assistance donors on FATF’s ICRG rules and procedures and strategic responses to ICRG review.
- Provide input to FATF ICRG processes and the development of ICRG procedures.
- Actively participate in FATF ICRG meetings and inter-sessional AP-JG meetings.
