Background Information

About the Financial Action Task Force 07/12/2005
The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) was established by a G-7 Summit held in Paris in 1989, with the cooperation of the European Commission and eight other countries.

About the Carribean Financial Action Task Force 06/12/2005
The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force is one of the more proactive regional financial action task forces and has developed its own set of recommendations aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

About the Eastern and South African Anti-Money Laundering Group 05/12/2005
The Eastern and South African Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) comprises fourteen countries from the eastern region of Africa down to the southern tip.

About the Middle East and North African Financial Action Task Force 04/12/2005
Formed in November 2004, the Middle East and North African Financial Action Task Force is very much a nascent body. The organisation's aim is to ensure compliance across the member countries with the FATF Recommendations.

Key PI Resources

Leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007 28/12/2007

Privacy International's rankings of privacy protection around the world.

News and Developments

Europe's Privacy Commissioners rule against SWIFT 24/11/2006
In a strongly worded press release, the Article 29 Working Party of the European Commission ruled that SWIFT operated in breach of EU privacy law by transferring financial data to the U.S. Government. They also call on EU Banks to notify customers of the fact that SWIFT hands this data over to the U.S. Treasury.

Swiss Privacy Commissioner claims SWIFT and Swiss banks infringed privacy law 24/10/2006
The Swiss Federal Privacy Commissioner judges that the SWIFT transfer of financial data to the U.S. Government is in breach of Swiss privacy law.

Belgian Prime Minister condemns SWIFT data transfers to U.S. as 'illegal' 28/09/2006
The Belgian government released a report today on the SWIFT case. SWIFT has been subject to a PI campaign against its transfer of financial transaction data to the U.S. Government. The Belgian government concluded that "Swift should have respected its obligations under Belgian data privacy laws."

German Lander Commissioner legal analysis condemns SWIFT transfers to U.S. 25/08/2006
The Data Protection Commission for the German Lander of Schleswig-Holstein released its legal analysis of the SWIFT transfer of transactional data to the US Government. The analysis concludes that the transfers violate German and European data protection law, and calls for the immediate cessation of the mirroring of European data in the U.S. data centre.

An Open Letter to the CEO of SWIFT on other covert programmes for access to financial data 12/07/2006
PI writes to the CEO of SWIFT asking if there are other covert programmes run by SWIFT in co-operation with other governments around the world for access to personal financial data held by SWIFT.

European Parliament resolution on SWIFT builds on PI work 07/07/2006
The European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding explanations from EU governments and institutions regarding their complicity in the SWIFT transfers of financial data to the U.S. The resolution refers directly to PI's campaigning on the issue.

UK Presidency of the EU starts immediately on surveillance package 13/07/2005
The UK is starting its presidency of the EU with a number of surveillance proposals including the monitoring of financial transactions and communications, the sharing of data between member states, and the collection of fingerprints.

FATF Releases 8 Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing 31/12/2003
The Financial Action Task Force, tasked with creating rules and recommendations to combat money laundering, has released eight additional special recommendations to detect, prevent, and suppress the financing of terrorism and terrorist acts.

FATF Releases Best Practices Guidelines on Money Laundering 26/10/2003
In a response to the 'growing prevalence' of terrorist attacks, the Financial Action Task Force has outlined 'an effective regime' for freezing accounts, exposing money trails, and fostering internaitonal co-operation and compliance with obligations under UN Security Resolutions.

PI Reports

PI and ACLU show that SWIFT auditor has extensive ties to US Government 27/09/2006
The role of the consulting and engineering firm Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. in providing oversight for the SWIFT surveillance program, much touted by the program’s defenders, was called into significant question today by the American Civil Liberties Union and Privacy International, which released a memo that they prepared at the request of European regulators, documenting the consulting firm’s close ties to the U.S. Government.

Pulling a Swift one? Bank transfer information sent to U.S. authorities 27/06/2006
On June 22-23 2006 the New York Times ran a story uncovering a financial surveillance programme run by the Bush Administration. Little is known regarding the true details of this programme so here we bring together all the information that has been made available.

Briefing on FATF and Financial Surveillance 07/12/2005
The Financial Action Task Force has been working for years to harmonise rules on financial surveillance. In this briefing, we highlight the policy laundering activities of the FATF.

International Standards and Agreements

APEC 12th Economic Leaders' Meeting (2004) 21/11/2004
Under the banner 'One Community, Our Future', APEC economic leaders pledged to reaffirm previously made goals concerning trade liberalisation and economic prosperity. Efforts were also made towards creating greater security of intellectual property right laws. Moreover, a stong stance on security issues was once more advocated with an end to terror seen as the only way to allow for economic prosperity to flourish, with economics being seen as a key weapon in this regional and global fight.

G8 - Justice and Home Affairs Communiqué - Washington DC (2004) 11/05/2004
Continued threats from international terrorists and criminals called the group together. As a result, a range of measures aimed at 'terror' were outlined. Consequently, under cover agents, internet 'policing', biometric identification technology and terrorist financing was all on the vast agenda.

U.N. - Security Council Resolution: 1526 (2004) 30/01/2004
This was an effort to attack any member of the Taliban and the Al-Qaida organization, and any individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with the Taliban and the Al-Qaida organization, who have participated in the financing, planning, facilitating and preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist acts. The U.N. called upon States to move vigorously and decisively to cut the flows of funds and other financial assets and economic resources to individuals and entities associated with the Al-Qaida organization, Usama bin Laden and/or the Taliban.