FATF Continues Monitoring: North Korea, Myanmar, and Iran Remain on the Blacklist

Outcomes of the FATF Plenary

The global financial watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), concluded its June 2026 plenary session in Paris. The core outcome was the retention of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran, and Myanmar on the "High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action," commonly known as the FATF Blacklist. These nations continue to exhibit severe strategic deficiencies in their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) regimes.

Implications of the Blacklist

Countries on the Blacklist are subjected to enhanced due diligence, effectively cutting them off from the mainstream international financial system. The FATF reiterated its call to all member jurisdictions to apply counter-measures to protect the global financial network from illicit finance originating from these states. Additionally, several new nations were added to the 'Grey List' for closer monitoring, while a few were removed after successfully implementing action plans.

Static GK Fact Check

• FATF Establishment: Created in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
• FATF Headquarters: Paris, France (housed at the OECD headquarters).
• Lists Maintained: Blacklist (Call for action) and Grey List (Jurisdictions under increased monitoring).