The Government says it was pleased to participate in the virtual Illicit Finance Ministerial Dialogue convened by UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty. The meeting brought together elected leaders, ministers, and senior officials from the Overseas Territories to discuss the importance of global cooperation in tackling illicit finance, including joint efforts with law enforcement agencies. 

The Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham, represented HMGoG at the meeting. He provided an update on the significant steps Gibraltar has taken and continues to take in combatting financial crime. This includes work on beneficial ownership transparency and Gibraltar’s removal last year from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, and more recently from the European Union’s list. Minister Feetham reaffirmed Gibraltar’s commitment to strengthening its sanctions enforcement capabilities. 

Gibraltar has maintained a public beneficial ownership register since 2020, one of the first jurisdictions to do so. 

Minister Feetham stated: “We are part of the British family, and we consider ourselves strong partners of the UK Government in the fight against money laundering and serious financial crime. We have demonstrated our compliance with international standards, having been white-listed by both the FATF and the European Union. We have significantly enhanced the capability of our local law enforcement agencies through increased resourcing, advanced training, and robust legislation. We will not allow Gibraltar to be misused by illicit actors, and we remain fully committed to this global effort.”