Anti-Money Laundering and
Countering the Financing of Terrorism

The Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)

The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) was officially established in February 1997 as part of the FATF’s global AML/CFT strategy. New Zealand was one of founding members of the APG. Other members of the APG include: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, and (recently) Tonga.

Mutual Evaluations

To improve the AML/CFT measures of its member States and jurisdictions, the APG has established a mutual evaluation process. This process involves APG members evaluating each other and reporting to the APG on compliance of evaluated jurisdictions with the FATF standards. New Zealand was mutually evaluated in 2003.

The 2005 New Zealand Report to the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (PDF 91KB) and the 2006 New Zealand Report to the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (PDF 91KB) outline many Government initiatives already undertaken to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.

Fostering International Cooperation

The APG meets once a year in order to discuss mutual evaluations, technical assistance and training issues, and the structure and nature on the APG.

The APG also holds annual typologies workshops. They are designed to help identify emerging trends in money laundering and terrorist financing, enable members to share knowledge and experience, and generally improve international cooperation in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.