Multilateral Relationships

The Egmont Group     

The Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (the Egmont Group) was established in 1995.  Its purpose is to facilitate cooperation in the exchange of financial intelligence by its members.  The Egmont Group actively encourages the development of FIUs and cooperation among and between them in the interest of combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

AUSTRAC coordinates and provides effective contribution to the work of the Egmont Group of FIUs by managing exchange of information, providing ongoing support to the Egmont Training Working Group Committee and other Egmont initiatives and participate in Training Working Group and Plenary meetings.

Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APGML)

The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (the APG) is a regional body comprising 32 member jurisdictions, 10 observer jurisdictions and 18 observer organisations.
The APG works to ensure the adoption, implementation and enforcement of internationally accepted anti-money laundering standards within the Asia Pacific region.  This includes assisting jurisdictions in the region to enact laws criminalising the laundering of the proceeds of crime and dealing also with mutual legal assistance, confiscation, forfeiture and extradition.

 It also includes the provision of guidance in setting up systems for reporting and investigating suspicious transactions and helping in the establishment of FIUs.  The APG recognises that regional and country factors need to be taken into account in the implementation of anti-money laundering measures and provides for peer review by means of a mutual evaluation process.

Australia has been a member of the APG since it commenced in 1997.  Australia hosts the APG Secretariat in Sydney. AUSTRAC coordinate Australia's input to the work of the APG, participate and contribute to the annual APG Typologies Workshop, and participate in the APG Plenary and Donors and Providers (DAP) Meetings.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of policies, both at national and international levels, to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

AUSTRAC provides ongoing contribution to FATF initiatives including supporting an AUSTRAC member of the Australian delegation at FATF meetings and coordinating AUSTRAC's international activities with other international organisations and agencies working on AML and CTF matters.