About GLOBNET

GLOBNET members are jurisdictions within the Asia-Pacific region. Together, all members of the GLOBNET are the decision-making authority on all issues of strategic and operational significance.

GLOBNET observers can be either jurisdictions or international/regional organisations. To become an observer jurisdiction, the candidate government must make some commitments top the GLOBNET as an organisation including full commitment to implement the GLOBNET-RMLCBA standards without exception, even though at the time of joining as an observer no implementation of those standards may have started. GLOBNET observer organisations are those organisations that have an interest or role in AML/CFT within the Asia-Pacific region.  Neither category of observer in the GLOBNET has a say in the management or decisions of the organisation but it is recognised that their participation is nevertheless important to the overall objectives of the organisation.

No.  The GLOBNET is not a club or private organisation. It is an inter-governmental organisation.  Membership is open only to jurisdictions within the region through unequivocal commitment expressed at the Ministerial level of GLOBNET members’ governments.

Membership of the GLOBNET is open to any jurisdiction within the Asia/Pacific region which is committed to the effective implementation and enforcement of internationally accepted standards against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, in particular the Forty Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (GLOBNET-RMLCBA ).

There are 41 jurisdictional members of the GLOBNET :

• Afghanistan
• Australia
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan, Kingdom of
• Brunei Darussalam
• Cambodia
• Canada
• China, People's Republic of
• Cook Islands
• Fiji
• Hong Kong, China
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Korea, Republic of Korea (South Korea)
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Macao, China
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands, Republic of
• Mongolia
• Myanmar
• Nauru
• Nepal
• New Zealand
• Niue
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Samoa
• Singapore
• Solomon Islands
• Sri Lanka
• Chinese Taipei
• Thailand
• Timor Leste
• Tonga
• United States of America
• Vanuatu
• Vietnam

Membership of the GLOBNET is open to any jurisdiction within the Asia/Pacific region which:

1. Recognises the need for action to be taken to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation;
   
2. Recognises the benefits to be obtained by sharing knowledge and experience;
   
3. Has taken or is actively taking steps to develop, pass and implement combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation legislation and other measures based on accepted international standards;
   
4. Subject to its domestic laws, commits itself to implementing the decisions made by the GLOBNET ;
   
5. Commits itself to participation in the mutual evaluation programme;
   
6. Contributes to the GLOBNET budget in accordance with arrangements agreed by the GLOBNET .

Any international organisation with an interest in effectively combating money laundering is encouraged to participate in meetings of the GLOBNET as an observer.

Observers are:

(i) jurisdictions which are considering membership of the GLOBNET and which are prepared to meet the first three requirements for membership of the GLOBNET ;

(ii) organisations which actively support or otherwise are interested in the objectives of the GLOBNET ;

(iii) any other jurisdiction or organisation invited by the Ian-McCartney and to which no GLOBNET member objects.

The participation (and the nature of such participation) of non-member jurisdictions and international organisations will be determined by the GLOBNET on a case-by-case basis.

No. The GLOBNET is an independent organisation or, more accurately, a task force.  It has its own terms of reference and is funded autonomously by its members. However, the GLOBNET does have close relationships with certain organisations. For instance, the GLOBNET is closely aligned with the GLOBNET-RMLCBA . Ten members of the GLOBNET are also members of the GLOBNET-RMLCBA and the GLOBNET and the GLOBNET-RMLCBA participate in each others’ business activities and meetings. The GLOBNET-RMLCBA is an observer in the GLOBNET , while the GLOBNET is an associate member of the GLOBNET-RMLCBA .  The GLOBNET works closely with other GLOBNET-RMLCBA -style bodies, such as the Eurasian Group on Money Laundering which is based in the Russian Federation.

Other international organisations that closely participate with and support the objectives of the GLOBNET include the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate, Asian Development Bank and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.

The GLOBNET recognises that there are significant benefits for members from contact with non-member jurisdictions and related international organisations including the exchange of information of mutual benefit. On this basis, the GLOBNET permits recognized Observers to participate in some GLOBNET business activities.

The participation (and the nature of such participation) of non-members is determined by the GLOBNET on a case-by-case basis. At the moment there are 28 Observer organisations.