The Eurasian Group has published the final report of the International Dialogue on Strengthening Regional AML/CFT Policy, held during GAFILAT's 52nd Plenary in December 2025. The report consolidates the main conclusions and strategic directions from high-level panel discussions and is intended to support follow-up action and continued policy dialogue, particularly as the FATF Global Network prepares for the fifth round of mutual evaluations. A central message is that the next evaluation round will take place against a more complex risk backdrop. The report points to proliferation financing, new forms of terrorist financing linked to organized crime, and especially the rapid growth of fraud as key global threats, alongside the increasing use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, deepfakes and virtual assets. It says the fifth round will place particular weight on the quality, availability and verification of beneficial ownership information, the effectiveness of asset recovery systems, consistent application of the risk-based approach under the updated Recommendation 1, and supervision of virtual assets. It also highlights weaknesses linked to digital financial services, cross-border payments, stablecoins and unregulated peer-to-peer channels, as well as persistent vulnerabilities in sectors including foreign trade, real estate and mining. The report also stresses that countries and FATF-style regional bodies will need stronger technical and operational capacity, including more assessors, better analytical functions and adequate budget resources. It identifies fraud as the most widespread cross-regional threat, notes tighter links among criminal networks across Latin America, Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East, and points to continuing gaps in asset recovery, including confiscated asset management and institutional specialization. The report is intended to feed into follow-up work from the dialogue and to contribute to GAFILAT's Strategic Plan for 2026-2030.

Original source Back to tracker