Caribbean Financial Action Task Force

📢Important Announcement! 📢
Click the link to access our new website: https://cfatf-gafic.org/

The CFATF participates in Training for Law Enforcement Agencies in the Cayman Islands

The CFATF Secretariat participated in a two-day training for law enforcement and operational agencies in the Cayman Islands, held from April 23rd to 24th, 2026. Representing the CFATF were Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Pedro Harry and Law Enforcement Advisor, Mr. Christopher Lahourie. The training was organised by the Office of Sanctions Implementation and Financial Intelligence (OSAIF) and brought together approximately 40 participants from relevant competent authorities including the Royal Cayman Islands Police Force, Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control, The Office of Director of Public Prosecutions, The Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission, the Financial Reporting Authority and the Office for Strategic Action on Illicit Finance.

The CFATF Secretariat delivered sessions on key areas of the FATF Methodology, including Immediate Outcome 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as well as Recommendations 4, 38 and 40. These sessions focused on what jurisdictions must demonstrate in practice to evidence effective AML/CFT outcomes, including risk-based coordination, timely and constructive international cooperation, operational use of financial intelligence, parallel financial investigations, prosecution results, confiscation outcomes and terrorist financing measures.

The programme also included presentations by Cayman Islands authorities on the jurisdiction’s risk and context, international cooperation operational framework, Financial Reporting Authority operational perspective, law enforcement use of financial intelligence, prosecutorial perspective and legal and operational practice on confiscation and provisional measures.

The training supported continued efforts to strengthen inter-agency coordination and enhance the effective implementation of AML/CFT measures in line with the FATF Standards.

CFATF Assessor Training

The CFATF, in conjunction with the Office for Strategic Action on Illicit Finance (OSAIF), held Assessors’ Training at the Marriott Seven Mile Resort in Grand Cayman from April 27th to May 1st, 2026. It was facilitated by CFATF Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Pedro Harry as well as Financial Advisors, Ms. Allison McIntyre and Ms. Knalidi Jackson-Frederick, Law Enforcement Advisor, Mr. Christopher Lahourie and Legal Advisor, Ms. Franka Primus.

Over thirty (30) participants from a range of competent authorities across several member jurisdictions attended the training. The participants represented diverse areas of expertise, comprising 12 financial assessors, 10 legal assessors, four law enforcement assessors, one financial/law enforcement assessor, one legal/law enforcement assessor, and two financial/legal assessors. The training covered key components of the Mutual Evaluation Process, including the scope and requirements of mutual evaluations, risk and context considerations, assessing technical compliance, and assessing effectiveness under each Immediate Outcome.

The sessions also addressed the importance of data and statistics in assessments, practical guidance for onsite interviews, and techniques for writing and presenting the Mutual Evaluation Report (MER), with particular focus on drafting Key Findings, Recommendations and Key Recommended Actions (KRAs). In addition to the theoretical sessions, participants engaged in practical exercises as well as dynamic mock onsite interview exercises.

The CFATF values its partnership with the OSAIF as we continue our commitment to preparing our Members for the 5th Round.

🎯Risk-based supervision is an important facilitator of financial inclusion. Supervisors play a critical role🤝 in shaping how regulated entities 🏛️🏦understand and apply a risk-based approach to AML/CFT compliance 📊. They influence this process through measures 🖋️⚙️, such as:

✅Setting regulatory expectations and legal requirements.
✅Providing clarifying guidance.
✅Providing instructions and best practice guidelines.

To learn more 🔍about the revisions to Recommendation 1 and risk-based supervision, be sure to check out part 2️⃣ of the CFATF Secretariat's series, "Revisions to Recommendation 1: Financial Inclusion – Risk-Based Supervision" here: https://tinyurl.com/3cry4vyc

In February 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ revisions to Recommendation 1 and its Interpretive Note (INR. 1) were adopted to:

⬆️✅Promote financial inclusion and its importance in the context of the FATF Standards.

🎯💪Facilitate a stronger understanding of the Risk-Based Approach.

⚖️⚙️Ensure implementation of proportionate AML/CFT measures.

To learn more about financial inclusion and the changes to Recommendation 1, please read the CFATF Secretariat's article "Revisions to Recommendation 1: Financial Inclusion – Part 1" here https://tinyurl.com/2vuvyutv

Look out for part 2 next week!