During the Mexican presidency, Ms de Anda Madrazo launched the Regional Bodies Guest Initiative, an important step toward strengthening collaboration between the FATF and regional bodies. Through this initiative, the Cayman Islands was among the first jurisdictions to benefit from enhanced participation and visibility at FATF Plenary meetings.

“It was an honour for the Cayman Islands to be recognised in this way during her tenure,” Premier Ebanks said. “We felt it was important to convey sincere thanks and present a small token of appreciation. I am so pleased to know that this initiative will continue for the foreseeable future and that the second pair of guest jurisdictions included a fellow Caribbean country, Jamaica.” 

Ms de Anda Madrazo, who is from Mexico, will conclude her term in July and will be succeeded by Mr Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom as incoming FATF President.   

Premier Ebanks led a cross-agency Cayman Islands delegation to the plenary, forming part of a broader Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) contingent. In addition to participating in the formal Plenary sessions, members of the Cayman delegation engaged in targeted bilateral meetings with regional and international stakeholders. Discussions focused on key priority areas, including virtual assets, beneficial ownership transparency and asset recovery.

“These engagements at the plenary provided invaluable insights that will support our ongoing efforts to strengthen our anti-money laundering framework and prepare for the CFATF mutual evaluation of the Cayman Islands scheduled for December 2027,” Premier Ebanks added.