Lebanon is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the FATF meeting which will take place in Paris on October 24. This meeting will decide on its possible inclusion on the grey list of countries that do not comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures

The decision whether to include Lebanon on the FATF grey list or not depends on recent developments and last-minute efforts. Indeed, the interim governor of the Bank of Lebanon, Wassim Mansouri, was particularly reassured about the stability of the system of bank transfers between Lebanon and abroad. Thus, according to reports, Mansouri received assurances regarding the stability of relationships between these banks, the Lebanese banking sector and the BDL, even if the Gafi decided to put Lebanon on the gray list. He met with the main correspondent banks dealing with Lebanon, such as JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of New York, and Morgan Stanley, among others

However, avoiding this listing is becoming more and more difficult, according to the Group, prosecutions in Lebanon do not fully respond to threats and risks, especially with regard to customs investigations, the fight against smuggling, tax evasion, drug trafficking and human trafficking. The Lebanese judicial authorities have not yet succeeded in establishing appropriate mechanisms to seize the income from these crimes and the Lebanese authorities have not established clear procedures for the return of assets seized or transferred to other jurisdictions. Likewise, the potential threats posed by the activities of the main local paramilitary groups remain without a definite solution