The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) yesterday expressed its appreciation to a former Chairman, Sir Ronald Sanders, for services to the organisation.
CFATF is an organisation of 30 Caribbean and Central American States which have agreed to implement common countermeasures to address the problem of criminal money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
CFATF’s Executive Director of CFATF, Calvin Wilson, presented Sir Ronald with a certificate of appreciation that was mandated by the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the CFATF held in Panama earlier this month. The award was presented in a special ceremony in London.
Sir Ronald was recognised for having given the Task Force both *”a strong voice”* for the region and *”a vision for its work as part of the international community.”* He was elected as Deputy Chairman and Chairman of CFATF while he served as Antigua and Barbuda’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He was also a key participant in negotiations with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) when it targeted over 40 jurisdictions on what it called ‘harmful tax competition’.
In accepting the certificate, Sir Ronald encouraged CFATF member states to devote the resources necessary to make the Task Force both a vibrant contributor to combating drug trafficking and countering terrorism financing, and a forceful advocate for the right of Caribbean and Central American countries to compete in the global financial market.
The Bahamas is a member of CFATF, and the Hon. Alfred Sears, Attorney General and Minister of Education, served as its Chairman in 2002-2003, during its 10th operational year.
The CFATF Secretariat is hosted by the Government of Trinidad & Tobago. The current CFATF Chairman is The Honourable Justin L. Simon, Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Antigua & Barbuda.