The Asia Pacific Regional Review Group (RRG) Face-to-Face Meeting under the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) takes place in Macao SAR, from 11 to 13 May 2011. Delegates from 10 countries and reviewers from 9 jurisdictions and international bodies attend the meeting. Macao SAR Government collaborates with India as the co-chairs of RRG in Asia-Pacific region. The Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) is an autonomous and collaborative international organization founded in 1997 consisting of 40 members (including Macao SAR) and a number of international and regional observers. APG members and observers are committed to the effective implementation and enforcement of internationally accepted standards against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, in particular the Forty Recommendations and Nine Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which is the global standard-setting body for anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing. As a means of focusing on threats to the financial system, the FATF has established a process for identifying high-risk or non-cooperative countries and jurisdictions and recommending specific action through its International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG). In response to the G20 Leaders' request in April 2009, international organizations and standard setting bodies are urged to take more stringent follow-up actions on those jurisdictions failing to take adequate progress to address the deficiencies identified in the mutual evaluation process. In response to this, the FATF and its associate members including APG have revised their follow-up procedure and Regional Review Groups are formed under the ICRG to carry out the review process and monitor the progress of the actions taken by the jurisdictions. Since its acceptance as APG member in 2001 the Macao SAR Government has been actively participating in the international efforts against money laundering and terrorist financing, and such participation has brought great benefits to its own AML/CFT work. In this RRG Face-to-Face meeting, the Macao SAR Government collaborates again with experts from different international bodies and regions. Experience of countries being reviewed is also a valuable reference to others who take part in this occasion, including Macao SAR. On behalf of the Macao SAR Government, the Financial Intelligence Office (GIF) is the hosting agency of this RRG Meeting. Apart from its functions of collecting and analyzing suspicious transaction information, GIF is the coordinator of the Anti-money laundering Working Group whose members also include Independent Committee for the Exercise of Disciplinary Power over Solicitors, Public Prosecution Office, Commission Against Corruption, Unitary Police Service, Macao Customs Service, Legal Affairs Bureau, Law Reform and International Law Bureau, Economic Services Bureau, Financial Services Bureau, Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Monetary Authority of Macao and Judiciary Police. Since its establishment in 2002, the Interdepartmental AML Working Group has been facilitating coordination, cooperation, and information exchange among government agencies in Macao SAR that tasked with implementing AML/CFT measures. It has also been playing a major role in following up the implementation and recommendations given in the APG/OGBS Joint Mutual Evaluation Report (MER). Another contribution of the Working Group is in the formulation of the AML/CFT laws of Macao SAR and their further revision. Sub-working groups have also been formed for review and study purpose of money laundering risks in specific sectors. Intra-governmental cooperation of AML efforts and coordination of training among government agencies for enhancement of AML/CFT knowledge are also the major roles of the Working Group.
