By PAUL O’DONOGHUE, Senior Correspondent
THE upcoming FATF Plenary in Mexico City will be a ‘milestone’ summit for the organization according to its President.
Elisa de Anda Madrazo also said that the meeting in Mexico City on 11–13 February will focus on “tackling the financial flows that fuel crime and terrorism”.
She told AML Intelligence this week: “I set out at the start of my Presidency committed to working across the FATF Global Network to continue and strengthen FATF’s efforts to tackle the financial flows that fuel crime and terrorism and disrupt our safety, economic stability and sustainable growth.
“Hosting a FATF Plenary ‘at home’ is a key milestone and I look forward to welcoming all our committed colleagues in this fight to Mexico.”
The FATF (Financial Action Task Force) is the Paris-based body which sets international AML standards. Ms de Anda was appointed President on 1 July 2024 and her term finishes on 30 June next.
FATF Mexico Plenary
The fifth FATF Plenary under the two-year Mexican Presidency of Elisa de Anda Madrazo will conclude FATF Week, which starts on 9 February.
The meetings, hosted by the Mexican Presidency, will see representatives from across the FATF Global Network of more than 200 jurisdictions coming together to discuss the latest issues in the fight against illicit finance.
Over 600 delegates will take part in the Working Group and Plenary Meetings. The Plenary will discuss a wide range of topics. These include the mutual evaluation reports for Austria, Italy and Singapore. These assess the effectiveness of countries’ measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and their compliance with the FATF Recommendations.
The FATF said: “Other issues on the Plenary agenda include ongoing work to help countries address evolving threats.”
It also said that attendees will examine how to “harness technological innovation to combat crime”. The organization will also evaluate its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, commonly referred to as a ‘grey list’.
Ahead of the Plenary, on Sunday 8 February 2026, the FATF President will participate in a side event. Organised by FATF-Style Regional Body, GAFILAT, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Mexico City, the side event is aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of AML/CFT systems in Latin America. It is titled: ‘Addressing Money Laundering by Criminal Organizations and Leveraging Public–Private Partnerships’.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article
If you would like unlimited access to AML Intelligence premium articles, newsletter delivered twice a week, access to our Global Bank Fines and Penalties database, free access to Boardroom Series events and much more, select one of our subscription options and become a subscriber!
