Belize Leads in Global Anti-Money Laundering Efforts

Belize has become a leader in the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing, and weapons proliferation, according to the latest report from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). Belize has not only surpassed expectations but has set a new standard for technical compliance, earning “Fully Compliant” ratings for 38 out of 40 key anti-money laundering measures.

The CFATF’s 4th Round Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) highlighted Belize’s impressive ratings in both technical compliance and effectiveness.”Belize now has the distinction of having the strongest technical compliance ratings in the world, surpassing the previous record holder, Qatar.”

In terms of effectiveness, Belize also performed strongly, with Substantial ratings in five of the eleven Immediate Outcomes, including a regional first in proliferation financing.

“Belize has a robust regime in place to ensure that ML is identified, investigated and prosecuted. This framework consists of laws, working groups and policies within the different law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies,” CFATF reported.

According to the government of Belize, this success is the result of nearly two years of rigorous evaluation and collaboration among Belize’s national authorities, which culminated in the country achieving Regular Follow-up status—a distinction held by less than 15% of the world’s nations.