40 FATF 40 Recommendations
2

Recommendation 2 · Group A · AML/CFT Policies & Coordination

Former: R.31

National cooperation & coordination

Recommendation 2 requires every country to adopt national AML/CFT/CPF policies and a coordination mechanism that brings together policymakers, the financial intelligence unit (FIU), supervisors, law enforcement and other competent authorities — so they can cooperate, exchange information, and align their work with data-protection and privacy rules. The goal: prevent silos that let criminals exploit gaps between agencies.

Who must comply?

  • National policymakers and ministries (Finance, Justice, Foreign Affairs)
  • Financial Intelligence Units (FIU)
  • Supervisors and regulators (banking, securities, insurance, DNFBPs)
  • Law enforcement and prosecution agencies
  • Customs and tax authorities

Key requirements

  1. 1

    Adopt national AML/CFT/CPF policies

    Countries must adopt explicit policies for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, informed by the National Risk Assessment under Recommendation 1, and review them regularly.

  2. 2

    Designate a coordinating mechanism

    A specific authority or coordination body must be responsible for the policies and for overseeing their implementation across ministries, supervisors and the private sector.

  3. 3

    Inter-agency information exchange

    Domestic mechanisms must allow the FIU, law enforcement, supervisors and other competent authorities to cooperate and exchange information at both policy and operational levels — without bureaucratic barriers.

  4. 4

    Compatibility with data protection

    AML/CFT/CPF cooperation must operate within — not against — data protection, privacy and bank secrecy rules. Countries must have clear legal gateways that authorise sharing of information for AML/CFT purposes.

  5. 5

    Public-private dialogue

    The coordination mechanism should include input from financial institutions, DNFBPs and other obliged entities to ensure policies are realistic and effective at the operational level.

Practical example

Example: Mexico's AML/CFT inter-agency coordination

Mexico coordinates AML/CFT through the Hacienda-led Comisión Intersecretarial whose members include the UIF, SAT, CNBV, FGR, INTERPOL Mexico and Banxico. When the UIF detects a suspicious cross-border flow, it can share intelligence with the FGR for criminal investigation, with the CNBV for entity supervision, and with SAT for tax follow-up — all through a single legal gateway. The 2026 UIF-CNBV Convenio formalised real-time data sharing on the blocked-persons list and joint inspections.

How Mexico implements it

Country-specific section in Spanish — Mexican regulatory references (LFPIORPI, CNBV, SAT, UIF).

México coordina su régimen ALA/CFT a través de varias instituciones interconectadas:

UIF — Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera

Recibe avisos del SAT (AV) y reportes de la CNBV (sector financiero), genera inteligencia y comparte con FGR para investigación penal.

UIF: qué es y cómo opera

Convenio UIF-CNBV marzo 2026

Acuerdo formal que fortalece el intercambio de información, coordinación de inspecciones y administración tecnológica de la lista de personas bloqueadas.

Régimen antilavado de México

Tres regímenes paralelos coordinados: LFPIORPI (AV → SAT), LGOAAC Art. 95 Bis (SOFOMes ENR → CNBV), LIC Art. 115 (bancos → CNBV). El Art. 400 Bis del CPF unifica el delito penal.

Regímenes PLD en México

Milestones

  1. 2003

    Original Recommendation 31 — basic inter-agency cooperation

  2. 2012

    Renumbered as Recommendation 2 with broader scope

  3. 2020

    Explicit inclusion of proliferation financing coordination

  4. 2025

    October 2025 update strengthens privacy/AML interplay requirements

Related Recommendations

Other Recommendations in Group A — AML/CFT Policies & Coordination

1 R.1 Risk-based approach

Official citation

FATF (2012-2025), International Standards on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism & Proliferation, Recommendation 2, FATF, Paris, France. Last updated October 2025.

Read the official text on fatf-gafi.org