Resolution on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
24th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF)
Vancouver, Canada January 17-21, 2016
Resolution on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
APPF24/RES/13
(Sponsored by Canada)
The 24th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum;
Acknowledging previous resolutions adopted by Annual Meetings of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) on the fight against terrorism and organized crime;
Reiterating the APPF’s strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism, which remains a serious and ongoing threat to regional and international peace and security;
Drawing attention to the links between money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities, as well as to the emerging ways in which both of these occur, including through the use of digital currencies;
Recognizing that money laundering, including for the purpose of financing terrorist activities, has negative effects on the integrity and stability of global and national financial markets and systems;
Mindful of the evolving means through which terrorists finance their illicit activities, including through private donations, abuse of charitable organizations, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, fraud, trafficking in arms, persons, drugs and cultural and historical artefacts, as well as the sale of and trade in oil and other natural resources;
Aware that those who launder money and finance terrorist activities exploit weaknesses and gaps in national legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks to move their funds to or through jurisdictions;
Cognizant that money laundering and terrorist financing are transnational problems that must be countered with an integrated, timely, effective and comprehensive global response;
Noting the commitments undertaken by United Nations (UN) Member States in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which together provide a framework of international obligations for preventing and combating transnational organized crime and money laundering;
Recalling UN Security Council Resolution 2195 (2015), which expressed concern that terrorist organizations benefit from transnational organized crime in some regions, and that such groups can undermine the security, stability, governance, and social and economic development;
Reiterating the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy;
Recalling relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly on terrorist financing, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001), which requires states to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts and to refrain from providing any form of support to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which calls on states to prevent support for foreign terrorist fighters, and UN Security Council Resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), which outline robust measures and requirements to counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities;
Drawing attention to the targeted financial sanctions established by or under the authority of the UN Security Council in relation to terrorism and terrorist financing,and the work of the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Committee and Monitoring Team;
Underlining the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation in preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing in all of their forms;
Noting the importance of more timely information sharing within and between governments, as well as the need for stronger relationships between relevant government agencies and the private sector in countering money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities;
Bearing in mind the international standards embodied in the Financial Action Task Force’s revised Recommendations on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation and related Interpretive Notes, as well as its support for effective implementation of relevant legal, regulatory and operational measures;
Supporting the Group of 20 (G20) Statement on the Fight Against Terrorism adopted in Antalya, Turkey on 16 November 2015, which reinforced a commitment to tackling the financial channels of terrorism;
Emphasizing the work undertaken by organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units to improve cooperation in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities, and to advance the implementation of domestic programs in these areas;
Welcoming regional initiatives and cooperation to counter money laundering and terrorist financing, namely through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Regional Forum and the Organization of American States;
Underscoring the progress made by APPF Member States in strengthening national anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks and laws;
Stressing the critical legislative and oversight roles that parliaments play as part of national efforts to prevent and combat money laundering and terrorist financing;
RESOLVES TO:
- Renew the collective commitment of APPF Member States and APPF Parliaments to combat terrorism and organized crime in all of their forms, and to prevent the financing of both activities;
- Insist that all APPF Member States accelerate implementation of all UN anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing conventions, resolutions and protocols, as well as the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations on combating money laundering and terrorist financing;
- Call on all APPF Member States to move vigorously and decisively to cut the flows of funds, as well as other financial assets and economic resources, to any individual, entity or undertaking subject to targeted sanctions established by or under the authority of the UN Security Council;
- Provide oversight of national legislative and regulatory measures aimed at countering money laundering and terrorist financing with a view to ensuring compliance with appropriate international standards and obligations;
- Prioritize the strengthening and adequate resourcing of financial intelligence units, investigative agencies and prosecutorial entities as they seek to detect, deter, investigate and prosecute instances of money laundering or terrorist financing;
- Support initiatives to provide regular and transparent reporting on the efficacy of national measures aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and on the extent to which these measures comply with international standards and obligations;
- Urge APPF Member States, as required, to provide capacity-building assistance to countries in the Asia-Pacific region to address the threat posed by money laundering and terrorist financing;
- Encourage APPF Member States to provide one another the greatest measure of assistance in connection with criminal investigations or criminal proceedings related to the financing or support of terrorist acts, in accordance with domestic and international laws;
- Call on APPF Member States to work cooperatively in pursuing all possible steps to protect the integrity of the global financial system and global economy, including by taking actions to deny individuals and groups the ability to use legitimate financial systems to finance criminal and terrorist activities.
