The Council of Ministers
Steering Group
CFATF Chair
CFATF Secretariat
Working Groups
COSUNs and Observers
The Council of Ministers
The Council is the supreme authority within the CFATF and consists of one ministerial representative or duly authorised alternate proposed in writing from each Member.
The Council will meet at least once annually and also where urgent circumstances dictate.
CFATF Steering Group
The Steering Group, which is chaired by the Chairman, is an advisory committee to the Chair, Plenary and the Council on a variety of policy matters and issues and also to the Secretariat on any matter related to the administration of the Secretariat or policies which for practical reasons cannot be dealt with by all Members or where the responsibility has been delegated by Plenary or the Council, as appropriate.
The Steering Group is comprised of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, the outgoing Chairman, (hereinafter referred to as the “ex officio members” and each an “ex officio member”), seven (7) Members, two of which will be chosen at large by simple majority of the Council of Ministers and five to be selected through nominations from the agreed CFATF sub regions and ratified by the Council of Ministers and by one (1) representative of the COSUNs Group. Where an ex officio member is unable or unwilling to assume membership of the Steering Group, the Council of Ministers may elect another member in its stead.
CFATF Chair
- Preside over meetings of the Council and the Plenary and be responsible in the latter case to brief the Members on the activities of the CFATF and where applicable delegate a senior official with relevant technical knowledge of Plenary matters to preside over the meetings of the Plenary
- Represent the CFATF at FATF and FSRB meetings and other fora determined by the Council;
Carry out activities assigned by the Council and any other activities consistent with his mandate; - Discuss and defend before the international community the positions and initiatives of the jurisdictions, in relation to the CFATF mandate;
- Supervise the execution of the Work Programme for the period and any other issue approved by the Council;
- Receive quarterly reports and other reports prepared by the Secretariat, on the implementation of the Work Programme, the budget and any other activities being carried out;
- Delegate his representation or assign specific responsibilities to the Deputy Chair, the Executive Director or the Steering Group on any pertinent matters; and
- Supervise processes for the resolution of disputes as may arise from time to time.
CFATF Secretariat
The Secretariat will perform technical and administrative functions under the direction of the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director (s).
The Secretariat shall be headed by an Executive Director who will have responsibility for the proper execution of its technical and administrative functions. He shall be assisted by the Deputy Executive Director(s).
Member countries will select and appoint the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director(s), and indicate their terms of office, at a Council Meeting by the decision of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Members present.
CFATF Working Groups
International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) tasked to review and consider issues related to international co-operation against money-laundering and terrorist financing. Recommend to the Plenary any necessary action or measures in this respect
CFATF Working Group on FATF Issues (WGFI) was established so that the CFATF could effectively follow and engage the FATF Evaluations and Compliance Group and the FATF Policy Development Group.
Working Group on Risks Trends and Methods (RTMG) established with the aim of allowing for the sharing of information collated by various bodies involved in the fight against money laundering, with the aim of increasing awareness of the attendant risks to the Caribbean Basin Region
Head of Financial Intelligence Units Forum (HoFIU): was formed to extend the channels for the sharing of information both intra regionally and between the region and its international partners
Accreditation Council (AC): mandated to design a suitable curriculum for the training and accreditation of financial investigators and analysts as well as supervisors at CFATF FIUs.
COSUNs and Observers
Co-operating and Supporting Nations are countries or territories that are not a member or observer of CFATF and which have expressed their support for the objectives of the CFATF and have been approved by the Council of Ministers. COSUNs make such contributions to the work and/or resources of the CFATF as are permitted by their respective national laws and policies. The Governments of Canada, France, Mexico, The Kingdom of the Netherlands, Spain, The United Kingdom, and The United States of America make up our Group of Cooperating and Supporting Nations (COSUNS).
Observers are such countries, territories and organizations including regional, multilateral and hemispheric organizations which actively support or otherwise are interested in the objectives of the CFATF, as approved by the Council of Ministers. International Organisations such as the Asia/Pacific Group Secretariat (APG), Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC), Caribbean Development Bank, CARIFORUM, Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTEC), CARICOM Secretariat, Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Commonwealth Secretariat, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Eastern and South African Anti Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), EGMONT Group, European Union (EU), Federal Republic of Germany, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT), Group of International Finance Centre Supervisors, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Interpol, MONEYVAL, Organization of American States/CICAD (OAS/CICAD), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat, United Nations Office of Drugs Control and Crime Prevention (UNODCP), The World Bank (WB) and World customs Organization (WCO) are all Observers.