|
Sanctions:
Australia has implemented autonomous sanctions, including the
extension of some current UN sanctions, against Burma, Fiji,
Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Iran, North Korea and
Zimbabwe. For further information: -
http://www.dfat.gov.au/un/unsc_sanctions/index.html
____________________________________________________
Offshore Jurisdiction Blacklists
Information unavailable..
____________________________________________________
US State Department Money Laundering Report - 2013
Australia has deep, liquid financial markets and is recognized as a
leader in investment management, as well as areas such as
infrastructure financing and structured products. Australia is a
financial services hub within the Asia-Pacific region, supported by
a number of government initiatives such as the implementation of
an investment manager regime and measures to provide taxation
exemption or tax relief for foreign managers. Finance and
insurance are the largest sectors in the Australian economy.
Australia has one of the largest pools of consolidated assets
under management globally, valued at about A$1.8 trillion
(approximately $1.9 trillion). It is also a significant destination for
foreign direct investment, with total inflows growing by over 16
percent in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period of
2011.
For additional information focusing on terrorist financing, please
refer to the Department of State’s Country Reports on Terrorism,
which can be found here: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/
DO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ENGAGE IN CURRENCY
TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
TRAFFICKING THAT INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF US
CURRENCY; CURRENCY DERIVED FROM ILLEGAL SALES IN
THE U.S.; OR THAT OTHERWISE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE
U.S.: NO
CRIMINALIZATION OF MONEY LAUNDERING:
“All serious crimes” approach or “list” approach to predicate
crimes: All serious crimes
Are legal persons covered: criminally: YES civilly: YES
KNOW-YOUR-CUSTOMER (KYC) RULES:
Enhanced due diligence procedures for PEPs: Foreign: YES
Domestic: YES
KYC covered entities: Banks; gaming and bookmaking
establishments and casinos; bullion and cash dealers and money
exchanges and remitters; electronic funds transferors; insurers
and insurance intermediaries; securities or derivatives dealers;
registrars and trustees; issuers, sellers or redeemers of travelers
checks, money orders or similar instruments; preparers of payroll
in whole or in part in currency on behalf of other persons; and,
currency couriers
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
Number of STRs received and time frame: 48,155: July 2011 -
June 2012
Number of CTRs received and time frame: 16,332: July 2011 -
June 2012
STR covered entities: Banks; gaming and bookmaking
establishments and casinos; bullion and cash dealers and money
exchanges and remitters; electronic funds transferors; insurers
and insurance intermediaries; securities or derivatives dealers;
registrars and trustees; issuers, sellers or redeemers of travelers
checks, money orders or similar instruments; preparers of payroll
in whole or in part in currency on behalf of other persons; and,
currency couriers
MONEY LAUNDERING CRIMINAL
PROSECUTIONS/CONVICTIONS:
Prosecutions: 65: July 2011 - June 2012
Convictions: 53: July 2011 - June 2012
RECORDS EXCHANGE MECHANISM:
With U.S.: MLAT: YES Other mechanism: YES
With other governments/jurisdictions: YES
Australia is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
and of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), a
FATF-style regional body. Its most recent evaluation can be found
here: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/60/33/35528955.pdf
ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND
COMMENTS:
The Government of Australia maintains a comprehensive system
to detect, prevent, and prosecute money laundering. The
Attorney-General’s Department is the policy agency responsible
for the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing
Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act) in collaboration with the Australian
Transaction and Reports Analysis Center (AUSTRAC) who
administers the Act and is also the country’s anti-money
laundering regulator and financial intelligence unit. Australia’s
financial system benefits from its global best practices regulatory
regime. AUSTRAC works collaboratively with Australian industries
and businesses in their compliance with anti-money
laundering/counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) legislation.
Australia has active interagency task forces, and consultations
with the private sector are frequent. Australian law enforcement
agencies investigate an increasing number of cases that directly
involve offenses committed overseas.
Third-party deposits, which can be used as vehicles to facilitate
money laundering, are legal in Australia. However, authorities are
working to limit the associated risks in Australia’s financial system.
In 2011, additional AML/CFT provisions came into effect, which
require banking institutions to identify third parties undertaking
transactions of $10,000 or more. This obligation is in addition to
reporting the details of the account holder involved in the
transaction, and builds on existing customer due diligence and
STR obligations.
The Australian government recently established a new Criminal
Assets Confiscation Taskforce, which brings together agencies
with key roles in the investigation and litigation of proceeds of
crime matters. The Taskforce should enhance the identification of
potential asset confiscation matters and strengthen their pursuit.
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Narcotics Report 2011 (introduction):
No report available
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2012
(introduction):
(Tier 1)
Australia is primarily a destination country for women subjected to
forced prostitution and to a lesser extent, women and men
subjected to forced labor. Child sex trafficking also occurs with a
small number of Australian citizens, primarily teenage girls,
exploited within the country, as well as some foreign victims. Some
women from Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, China, and, to a
lesser extent, India, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, and Africa migrate
to Australia voluntarily intending to work legally or illegally in a
number of sectors, including the sex trade. Subsequent to their
arrival, however, some of these women are coerced into
prostitution in both legal and illegal brothels. There were news
reports that some Asian organized crime groups recruit Asian
women to migrate to Australia, sometimes on student visas, and
then subsequently coerce them into the sex trade. The women
and girls are sometimes held in captivity, subjected to physical
and sexual violence and intimidation, manipulated through illegal
drugs, and obliged to pay off unexpected or inflated debts to their
traffickers. Some victims of sex trafficking have also been
exploited in domestic servitude.
Men and women from several Pacific Islands, India, China, South
Korea, and the Philippines are recruited to work temporarily in
Australia. After their arrival, some are subjected by unscrupulous
employers and labor agencies to forced labor in agriculture,
horticulture, construction, cleaning, hospitality, manufacturing,
and other sectors, such as domestic service. They face
confiscation of their travel documents, confinement on the
employment site, threats of physical harm, and debt bondage
through inflated debts imposed by employers or labor agencies.
Most often, traffickers are part of small but highly sophisticated
organized crime networks that frequently involve family and
business connections between Australians and overseas
contacts. During the year, one such syndicate relied on the
established informal remittance system hawala as a means to
launder its profits offshore. Some traffickers attempted to hide
their foreign victims from official notice or prevented victims from
receiving assistance by abusing the legal system in order to
create difficulties for victims who contact authorities for help.
Foreign workers in the nursing, meat processing, manufacturing,
agricultural, domestic and seafaring industries, as well as
international students, may be vulnerable to trafficking. During the
year, NGOs and other informed observers reported that some
individuals on student visas, typically from Asia, became victims of
forced labor and forced prostitution in Australia. There are over
450,000 foreign students in Australia, many of whom spend up to
the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in placement and
academic fees, as completion of courses often leads to
permanent residency in the country. Some of these foreign
students work in the housekeeping and restaurant industries and
are subject to a restriction of working a maximum of 20 hours per
week under their visas. When some were pushed by employers to
exceed the terms of their visas, they faced the risk of deportation,
making them vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous
employers; during the year there were reports of such exploitation
in restaurants and grocery stores near Melbourne.
The Government of Australia fully complies with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the year, the
government continued to prosecute trafficking cases and
obtained a conviction in one case of labor trafficking. Australian
Federal Police (AFP) investigators in Human Trafficking Teams
(HTT) specialized in investigating trafficking offenses as well as
the online sexual exploitation of children. The government
increased funding for its victim support program, and continued to
provide services to victims identified in previous years; however, it
identified 11 victims – six of whom had been subjected to forced
labor – during the year, a decrease from 31 victims identified in
the previous reporting period. The government granted 48
Permanent Witness Protection Visas to victims and their family
members, which allowed them to remain in Australia permanently,
and it continued to undertake robust efforts to prevent trafficking
in Australia and throughout the region.
For full report click here
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Terrorism Report 2010
Overview: On February 23, the Government of Australia released
the Counterterrorism White Paper outlining Australia's
counterterrorism strategy. The strategy has four key elements:
Analysis, Protection, Response, and Resilience. Additional
funding was announced for a counter-radicalization program. The
National Terrorism Public Alert System level remained at medium,
indicating that a terrorist attack could occur.
Legislation and Law Enforcement: In October 2009, five Sydney
men, arrested as part of a series of raids in 2005, were found
guilty of plotting terrorist attacks. On February 15, they were
sentenced to jail terms ranging from 23 to 28 years. The
Australian Attorney-General noted that the trial extended over
nearly one year and involved approximately 300 witnesses, 3,000
exhibits, and 30 days of surveillance evidence.
In February, the government announced the creation of the
Counterterrorism Control Center (composed of the Australia
Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), Australian Secret
Intelligence Service, the Australian Federal Police and Defense
Signals Directorate) to coordinate counterterrorism activities; it
was officially opened on October 21.
In March, parliament passed the Independent National Security
Legislation Monitor Bill 2010 that appoints an Independent
Monitor to help ensure counterterrorism laws strike an appropriate
balance between protecting the community and human rights.
Between July 2009 and June 2010, ASIO identified "several
Australians" seeking contact with extremist religious figures
overseas, and issued eight adverse security assessments against
Australian passport holders, which "reflected an increase in the
number of Australians identified as seeking to travel overseas for
terrorism-related activities." ASIO reported that a number of
Australians made contact with extremist figures in Yemen and
"Australians resident in Yemen have also participated in terrorism-
related activity." During this period, ASIO issued 14 adverse
assessments against visa applicants on counterterrorism grounds.
In November, parliament passed the National Security Legislation
Amendment Bill, which includes new powers for police to enter
premises without a warrant in emergency circumstances;
establishing a seven day limit on the amount of time a terrorism
suspect can be held, without charges; expanding counterterrorism
laws to apply to those who incite violence on the basis of race,
religion, ethnic origin, and political opinion; extending the
expiration period of regulations proscribing a terrorist organization
from two to three years; amending the National Security
Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004 so that
national security and counterterrorism court proceedings may be
expedited; and creating parliamentary oversight of the Australian
Federal Police and Australian Crime Commission.
On December 23, three Melbourne men were found guilty of
conspiring to plan a terrorist act at Sydney’s Holsworthy Army
Base in 2009. The Attorney-General said the prosecution was the
result of a complex joint investigation involving state and federal
police cooperation with the intelligence community.
Australia listed 19 groups as terrorist organizations. Al-Qa'ida in
the Arabian Peninsula was listed for the first time and al-Qa'ida,
Jemaah Islamiya, al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Sayyaf
Group, al-Qa'ida in Iraq, and Jamiat ul-Ansar were re-listed in
2010.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority was
investigating Hizballah’s al-Manar television station’s program
content to determine its compliance with regulatory obligations
relating to terrorist-related content, as well as racial vilification and
hate speech.
Countering Terrorist Finance: Australia’s laws make it a criminal
offense to hold assets that are owned or controlled by terrorist
organizations or individuals sanctioned under UNSCR 1267. The
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (AUSTRAC)
acts as Australia's money-laundering and counterterrorist
financing regulator. AUSTRAC continued to fund capacity building
technical assistance programs in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the
Pacific, and Africa.
To better coordinate and exchange financial information, the
government launched the Criminal Intelligence Fusion Center
within the Australian Crime Commission in July 2010. The center
co-located expert investigators and analysts from AUSTRAC and
other government agencies. On November 11, the government
released proposals to strengthen regulation of businesses
providing international cash transfer services.
Regional and International Cooperation: Australian multilateral
engagement continued in a wide range of forums. Australia has
counterterrorism memoranda of understanding with Indonesia, the
Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Fiji, Papua
New Guinea, East Timor, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey,
Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates. Australia continued to
provide legal drafting assistance to regional states seeking to
adopt international conventions and protocols against terrorism,
and to bring their law codes into conformity with these
conventions. Australia was instrumental in the International Civil
Aviation Organization’s efforts to update the Montreal and Hague
Conventions, resulting in the successful conclusion of two new
counterterrorism instruments in Beijing.
Australia and the United States exchanged information using
APEC's Regional Movement Alert System. Australia has biometric
data-sharing arrangements with the United Kingdom, Canada, the
United States, and New Zealand.
From March to August 2010, Australia's largest ever national
counterterrorism exercise, Mercury 10, was held across Australia.
The “deployment phase” was conducted in late August. It was the
first to include another country, with the involvement of New
Zealand. In November, Australia and Malaysia established a
bilateral counterterrorism working group. In December, Australia
hosted the Ninth Annual Trilateral Security Dialogue
Counterterrorism consultations with the United States and Japan.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: The government
funded projects encouraging tolerance of religious diversity. In
November, the government announced approximately US$ 9.7
million to fund a youth mentoring program as part of a program to
address radicalization.
Australia has implemented autonomous sanctions, including the
extension of some current UN sanctions, against Burma, Fiji,
Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Iran, North Korea and
Zimbabwe. For further information: -
http://www.dfat.gov.au/un/unsc_sanctions/index.html
____________________________________________________
Offshore Jurisdiction Blacklists
Information unavailable..
____________________________________________________
US State Department Money Laundering Report - 2013
Australia has deep, liquid financial markets and is recognized as a
leader in investment management, as well as areas such as
infrastructure financing and structured products. Australia is a
financial services hub within the Asia-Pacific region, supported by
a number of government initiatives such as the implementation of
an investment manager regime and measures to provide taxation
exemption or tax relief for foreign managers. Finance and
insurance are the largest sectors in the Australian economy.
Australia has one of the largest pools of consolidated assets
under management globally, valued at about A$1.8 trillion
(approximately $1.9 trillion). It is also a significant destination for
foreign direct investment, with total inflows growing by over 16
percent in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period of
2011.
For additional information focusing on terrorist financing, please
refer to the Department of State’s Country Reports on Terrorism,
which can be found here: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/
DO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ENGAGE IN CURRENCY
TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
TRAFFICKING THAT INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF US
CURRENCY; CURRENCY DERIVED FROM ILLEGAL SALES IN
THE U.S.; OR THAT OTHERWISE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE
U.S.: NO
CRIMINALIZATION OF MONEY LAUNDERING:
“All serious crimes” approach or “list” approach to predicate
crimes: All serious crimes
Are legal persons covered: criminally: YES civilly: YES
KNOW-YOUR-CUSTOMER (KYC) RULES:
Enhanced due diligence procedures for PEPs: Foreign: YES
Domestic: YES
KYC covered entities: Banks; gaming and bookmaking
establishments and casinos; bullion and cash dealers and money
exchanges and remitters; electronic funds transferors; insurers
and insurance intermediaries; securities or derivatives dealers;
registrars and trustees; issuers, sellers or redeemers of travelers
checks, money orders or similar instruments; preparers of payroll
in whole or in part in currency on behalf of other persons; and,
currency couriers
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
Number of STRs received and time frame: 48,155: July 2011 -
June 2012
Number of CTRs received and time frame: 16,332: July 2011 -
June 2012
STR covered entities: Banks; gaming and bookmaking
establishments and casinos; bullion and cash dealers and money
exchanges and remitters; electronic funds transferors; insurers
and insurance intermediaries; securities or derivatives dealers;
registrars and trustees; issuers, sellers or redeemers of travelers
checks, money orders or similar instruments; preparers of payroll
in whole or in part in currency on behalf of other persons; and,
currency couriers
MONEY LAUNDERING CRIMINAL
PROSECUTIONS/CONVICTIONS:
Prosecutions: 65: July 2011 - June 2012
Convictions: 53: July 2011 - June 2012
RECORDS EXCHANGE MECHANISM:
With U.S.: MLAT: YES Other mechanism: YES
With other governments/jurisdictions: YES
Australia is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
and of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), a
FATF-style regional body. Its most recent evaluation can be found
here: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/60/33/35528955.pdf
ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND
COMMENTS:
The Government of Australia maintains a comprehensive system
to detect, prevent, and prosecute money laundering. The
Attorney-General’s Department is the policy agency responsible
for the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing
Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act) in collaboration with the Australian
Transaction and Reports Analysis Center (AUSTRAC) who
administers the Act and is also the country’s anti-money
laundering regulator and financial intelligence unit. Australia’s
financial system benefits from its global best practices regulatory
regime. AUSTRAC works collaboratively with Australian industries
and businesses in their compliance with anti-money
laundering/counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) legislation.
Australia has active interagency task forces, and consultations
with the private sector are frequent. Australian law enforcement
agencies investigate an increasing number of cases that directly
involve offenses committed overseas.
Third-party deposits, which can be used as vehicles to facilitate
money laundering, are legal in Australia. However, authorities are
working to limit the associated risks in Australia’s financial system.
In 2011, additional AML/CFT provisions came into effect, which
require banking institutions to identify third parties undertaking
transactions of $10,000 or more. This obligation is in addition to
reporting the details of the account holder involved in the
transaction, and builds on existing customer due diligence and
STR obligations.
The Australian government recently established a new Criminal
Assets Confiscation Taskforce, which brings together agencies
with key roles in the investigation and litigation of proceeds of
crime matters. The Taskforce should enhance the identification of
potential asset confiscation matters and strengthen their pursuit.
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Narcotics Report 2011 (introduction):
No report available
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2012
(introduction):
(Tier 1)
Australia is primarily a destination country for women subjected to
forced prostitution and to a lesser extent, women and men
subjected to forced labor. Child sex trafficking also occurs with a
small number of Australian citizens, primarily teenage girls,
exploited within the country, as well as some foreign victims. Some
women from Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, China, and, to a
lesser extent, India, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, and Africa migrate
to Australia voluntarily intending to work legally or illegally in a
number of sectors, including the sex trade. Subsequent to their
arrival, however, some of these women are coerced into
prostitution in both legal and illegal brothels. There were news
reports that some Asian organized crime groups recruit Asian
women to migrate to Australia, sometimes on student visas, and
then subsequently coerce them into the sex trade. The women
and girls are sometimes held in captivity, subjected to physical
and sexual violence and intimidation, manipulated through illegal
drugs, and obliged to pay off unexpected or inflated debts to their
traffickers. Some victims of sex trafficking have also been
exploited in domestic servitude.
Men and women from several Pacific Islands, India, China, South
Korea, and the Philippines are recruited to work temporarily in
Australia. After their arrival, some are subjected by unscrupulous
employers and labor agencies to forced labor in agriculture,
horticulture, construction, cleaning, hospitality, manufacturing,
and other sectors, such as domestic service. They face
confiscation of their travel documents, confinement on the
employment site, threats of physical harm, and debt bondage
through inflated debts imposed by employers or labor agencies.
Most often, traffickers are part of small but highly sophisticated
organized crime networks that frequently involve family and
business connections between Australians and overseas
contacts. During the year, one such syndicate relied on the
established informal remittance system hawala as a means to
launder its profits offshore. Some traffickers attempted to hide
their foreign victims from official notice or prevented victims from
receiving assistance by abusing the legal system in order to
create difficulties for victims who contact authorities for help.
Foreign workers in the nursing, meat processing, manufacturing,
agricultural, domestic and seafaring industries, as well as
international students, may be vulnerable to trafficking. During the
year, NGOs and other informed observers reported that some
individuals on student visas, typically from Asia, became victims of
forced labor and forced prostitution in Australia. There are over
450,000 foreign students in Australia, many of whom spend up to
the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in placement and
academic fees, as completion of courses often leads to
permanent residency in the country. Some of these foreign
students work in the housekeeping and restaurant industries and
are subject to a restriction of working a maximum of 20 hours per
week under their visas. When some were pushed by employers to
exceed the terms of their visas, they faced the risk of deportation,
making them vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous
employers; during the year there were reports of such exploitation
in restaurants and grocery stores near Melbourne.
The Government of Australia fully complies with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the year, the
government continued to prosecute trafficking cases and
obtained a conviction in one case of labor trafficking. Australian
Federal Police (AFP) investigators in Human Trafficking Teams
(HTT) specialized in investigating trafficking offenses as well as
the online sexual exploitation of children. The government
increased funding for its victim support program, and continued to
provide services to victims identified in previous years; however, it
identified 11 victims – six of whom had been subjected to forced
labor – during the year, a decrease from 31 victims identified in
the previous reporting period. The government granted 48
Permanent Witness Protection Visas to victims and their family
members, which allowed them to remain in Australia permanently,
and it continued to undertake robust efforts to prevent trafficking
in Australia and throughout the region.
For full report click here
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Terrorism Report 2010
Overview: On February 23, the Government of Australia released
the Counterterrorism White Paper outlining Australia's
counterterrorism strategy. The strategy has four key elements:
Analysis, Protection, Response, and Resilience. Additional
funding was announced for a counter-radicalization program. The
National Terrorism Public Alert System level remained at medium,
indicating that a terrorist attack could occur.
Legislation and Law Enforcement: In October 2009, five Sydney
men, arrested as part of a series of raids in 2005, were found
guilty of plotting terrorist attacks. On February 15, they were
sentenced to jail terms ranging from 23 to 28 years. The
Australian Attorney-General noted that the trial extended over
nearly one year and involved approximately 300 witnesses, 3,000
exhibits, and 30 days of surveillance evidence.
In February, the government announced the creation of the
Counterterrorism Control Center (composed of the Australia
Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), Australian Secret
Intelligence Service, the Australian Federal Police and Defense
Signals Directorate) to coordinate counterterrorism activities; it
was officially opened on October 21.
In March, parliament passed the Independent National Security
Legislation Monitor Bill 2010 that appoints an Independent
Monitor to help ensure counterterrorism laws strike an appropriate
balance between protecting the community and human rights.
Between July 2009 and June 2010, ASIO identified "several
Australians" seeking contact with extremist religious figures
overseas, and issued eight adverse security assessments against
Australian passport holders, which "reflected an increase in the
number of Australians identified as seeking to travel overseas for
terrorism-related activities." ASIO reported that a number of
Australians made contact with extremist figures in Yemen and
"Australians resident in Yemen have also participated in terrorism-
related activity." During this period, ASIO issued 14 adverse
assessments against visa applicants on counterterrorism grounds.
In November, parliament passed the National Security Legislation
Amendment Bill, which includes new powers for police to enter
premises without a warrant in emergency circumstances;
establishing a seven day limit on the amount of time a terrorism
suspect can be held, without charges; expanding counterterrorism
laws to apply to those who incite violence on the basis of race,
religion, ethnic origin, and political opinion; extending the
expiration period of regulations proscribing a terrorist organization
from two to three years; amending the National Security
Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004 so that
national security and counterterrorism court proceedings may be
expedited; and creating parliamentary oversight of the Australian
Federal Police and Australian Crime Commission.
On December 23, three Melbourne men were found guilty of
conspiring to plan a terrorist act at Sydney’s Holsworthy Army
Base in 2009. The Attorney-General said the prosecution was the
result of a complex joint investigation involving state and federal
police cooperation with the intelligence community.
Australia listed 19 groups as terrorist organizations. Al-Qa'ida in
the Arabian Peninsula was listed for the first time and al-Qa'ida,
Jemaah Islamiya, al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Sayyaf
Group, al-Qa'ida in Iraq, and Jamiat ul-Ansar were re-listed in
2010.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority was
investigating Hizballah’s al-Manar television station’s program
content to determine its compliance with regulatory obligations
relating to terrorist-related content, as well as racial vilification and
hate speech.
Countering Terrorist Finance: Australia’s laws make it a criminal
offense to hold assets that are owned or controlled by terrorist
organizations or individuals sanctioned under UNSCR 1267. The
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (AUSTRAC)
acts as Australia's money-laundering and counterterrorist
financing regulator. AUSTRAC continued to fund capacity building
technical assistance programs in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the
Pacific, and Africa.
To better coordinate and exchange financial information, the
government launched the Criminal Intelligence Fusion Center
within the Australian Crime Commission in July 2010. The center
co-located expert investigators and analysts from AUSTRAC and
other government agencies. On November 11, the government
released proposals to strengthen regulation of businesses
providing international cash transfer services.
Regional and International Cooperation: Australian multilateral
engagement continued in a wide range of forums. Australia has
counterterrorism memoranda of understanding with Indonesia, the
Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Fiji, Papua
New Guinea, East Timor, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey,
Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates. Australia continued to
provide legal drafting assistance to regional states seeking to
adopt international conventions and protocols against terrorism,
and to bring their law codes into conformity with these
conventions. Australia was instrumental in the International Civil
Aviation Organization’s efforts to update the Montreal and Hague
Conventions, resulting in the successful conclusion of two new
counterterrorism instruments in Beijing.
Australia and the United States exchanged information using
APEC's Regional Movement Alert System. Australia has biometric
data-sharing arrangements with the United Kingdom, Canada, the
United States, and New Zealand.
From March to August 2010, Australia's largest ever national
counterterrorism exercise, Mercury 10, was held across Australia.
The “deployment phase” was conducted in late August. It was the
first to include another country, with the involvement of New
Zealand. In November, Australia and Malaysia established a
bilateral counterterrorism working group. In December, Australia
hosted the Ninth Annual Trilateral Security Dialogue
Counterterrorism consultations with the United States and Japan.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: The government
funded projects encouraging tolerance of religious diversity. In
November, the government announced approximately US$ 9.7
million to fund a youth mentoring program as part of a program to
address radicalization.
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|
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| Further Tables |
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*Please note that FATF deems that a country has significant aml deficiencies if any
of the 'Core' Recommendations, R1, R5, R10, R13, SRII, or SRIV are rated either
Partially of Non-Compliant. These are marked in red.
For FATF to remove a country from the regular follow-up process, it has to be rated
Compliant or Largely Compliant in the above mentioned Core Recommendations
and the following Key Recommendations: -
R3, R4, R23, R26, R35, R36, R40, SRI, SRIII, SRV
Please also note that any risk assessment should take into consideration all follow-
up reports.
of the 'Core' Recommendations, R1, R5, R10, R13, SRII, or SRIV are rated either
Partially of Non-Compliant. These are marked in red.
For FATF to remove a country from the regular follow-up process, it has to be rated
Compliant or Largely Compliant in the above mentioned Core Recommendations
and the following Key Recommendations: -
R3, R4, R23, R26, R35, R36, R40, SRI, SRIII, SRV
Please also note that any risk assessment should take into consideration all follow-
up reports.
 | Click here to link to all FATF Reports | |
| AUSTRALIA |
|
Extracted from IMF Report - 2011 ARTICLE IV Consultation
(October 2011)
The AML/CTF Act, enacted in December 2006, established a
regulatory regime to detect and deter money laundering and terrorism
financing. The AML/CTF Act represents the first tranche of reforms and
covers the activities of financial service providers, gambling services,
bullion dealers and remittance dealers. The authorities report that the
implementation is now complete. The second tranche of legislative and
regulatory reforms, intended to capture a range of non-financial
businesses and professionals is under consideration. Legislation has
been implemented facilitating information exchange between the
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and
APRA.
Information sharing arrangements at the executive and operational
levels are now in place.
Click here to view full report
(October 2011)
The AML/CTF Act, enacted in December 2006, established a
regulatory regime to detect and deter money laundering and terrorism
financing. The AML/CTF Act represents the first tranche of reforms and
covers the activities of financial service providers, gambling services,
bullion dealers and remittance dealers. The authorities report that the
implementation is now complete. The second tranche of legislative and
regulatory reforms, intended to capture a range of non-financial
businesses and professionals is under consideration. Legislation has
been implemented facilitating information exchange between the
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and
APRA.
Information sharing arrangements at the executive and operational
levels are now in place.
Click here to view full report
| i |
AML News / Updates
February 10, 2011 - The
Global Forum on
Transparency and
Exchange of Information
for Tax Purposes has
issued a Combined phase
1 & phase 2 peer review
for Australia
View Review....
Links:
Australian Transaction
Report & Analysis Centre
(AUSTRAC)
Worldwide AML
Legislation (International
Bar Association)
February 10, 2011 - The
Global Forum on
Transparency and
Exchange of Information
for Tax Purposes has
issued a Combined phase
1 & phase 2 peer review
for Australia
View Review....
Links:
Australian Transaction
Report & Analysis Centre
(AUSTRAC)
Worldwide AML
Legislation (International
Bar Association)
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| Last Updated: 10 March 2013 |