On October 13, 2025, Community World Service Asia organized a virtual session titled “Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – Black List Countries.” The session brought together representatives from non-profit organizations (NPOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) across various countries to discuss compliance with FATF requirements and the challenges faced by organizations operating in jurisdictions on the FATF grey and black lists. HAMI actively participate in this webinar.

Experts in finance and governance provided an overview of FATF’s structure, mandate, and the reasons countries are placed on monitoring lists. Participants discussed the direct and indirect consequences of such listings, including banking restrictions and funding access barriers that impact humanitarian and development work.

The session also focused on FATF’s Recommendation 8, which addresses how regulations concerning NPOs should be risk-based, proportionate, and targeted — ensuring that oversight does not hinder legitimate civil society operations. Participants shared lessons learned and examples of effective engagement with regulatory authorities and financial institutions.

In conclusion, speakers highlighted the importance of self-regulation, transparent risk assessment, and active participation of NPOs in National Risk Assessments (NRAs). The discussion underscored the need for collaboration between governments, donors, and civil society to balance financial security requirements with the protection of civic space.