International Memberships

Asia/Pacific Group

Palau joined the Asia/Pacific Group (“APG”) in 2002.  Established in 1997, the APG is an Associate Member of the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”).  FATF is the international anti-money laundering and counter-financing (“AML/CFT”) and anti-proliferation financing standard-setting body. It has set out 40 Recommendations and 11 Immediate Outcomes (“FATF Standards”) that countries are assessed against through a mutual evaluation process for compliance.   As a member of the APG, Palau has agreed to commit to the FATF Standards without reservation and is expected to work towards compliance with these standards.  Palau has undergone two mutual evaluation examinations, the last one taking place in 2018.

For more information on FATF, APG, Palau’s obligations as a member, and the impact of non-compliance, please see: Overview: the Financial Action Task Force Standards, Palau’s Obligations as a Member of the Asia/Pacific Group, and Impact of Non-Compliance.

Pacific Financial Intelligence Community

The Pacific Financial Intelligence Community (“PFIC”) is a regional body that provides a forum for Pacific FIUs to focus on multilateral and bilateral outcomes in the region.  The founding members are Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. The Palau FIU joined in 2022, attending the first annual meeting in Port Moresby, PNG.  In 2023, Palau attended the second annual meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Pacific AML/CFT Supervisors’ Forum

Palau is a member of the Pacific AML/CFT Supervisors’ Forum, which consists of AML/CFT supervisors in the Pacific Region.  It allows AML/CFT supervisors to connect and share their experiences and challenges with others in the region.  

National Memberships

Money Laundering Working Group

Established by Executive Order No. 362 and revised by Executive Order No. 406, the Money Laundering Working Group is chaired by the Chairman of the Financial Institutions Commission, and consists of the Attorney General, the Executive Commissioner of the Financial Institutions Commission, the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Director of the Bureau of Public Safety, and the Anti-Terrorism Coordinator.  The Working Group is ordered to meet once a quarter to better coordinate the Palau’s efforts to fight against money laundering, illicit financial activities, and the financing of terrorism

Financial Crimes Investigative Unit

Established by the same Executive Order as the Money Laundering Working Group, the Financial Crimes Investigative Unit (“FCIU”) is comprised of investigators from various agencies, the FIU, and participants from both the Offices of the Attorney General and the Special Prosecutor.  The purpose of the FCIU is to create a collaborative forum for the review and investigation of suspicious transaction report received by the FIU.