Complete overview and approach to CDD and KYC

The United Nations Global Programme against Money Laundering (GPML), part of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was established in 1997 to assist member states in complying with UN treaties and other documents relating to money laundering and terrorist financing.

GPML Responsibilities

• Assisting Member States in implementing anti-money laundering legislation.
• Devising, developing and maintaining strategies to combat money laundering.
• Encourage the development of anti-money laundering policies.
• Raising public awareness about money laundering.
• Coordinator of United Nations-led anti-money laundering initiatives, together with other international organizations.

The Global Programme against Money Laundering (GPML) has developed model laws for both common law and civil law jurisdictions, in collaboration with the Legal Advisory Section of the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP). The aim is to assist countries in drafting their anti-money laundering legislation in full compliance with international anti-money laundering instruments.

The United Nations treaties

Over the past two decades, several United Nations treaties and other instruments have been developed to address money laundering and terrorist financing. These now include: the United Nations Convention against Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (the Vienna Convention), the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (the Palermo Convention), the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and the Convention on the Financing of Terrorism (formally the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism).

In the context of the United Nations’ efforts to prevent and combat terrorism, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has an extensive programme of work on technical assistance in counter-terrorism. This is based on mandates recommended by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and approved by the United Nations General Assembly.

Mandate Inclusions

These mandates, implemented by the Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) of UNODC within the Division for Treaty Affairs (DTA), include the provision of technical assistance and advisory services to countries in their fight against terrorism. Accordingly, UNODC’s operational activities focus on strengthening the legal regime against terrorism. This includes the provision of legislative assistance to enable countries to become parties to and implement the universal anti-terrorism conventions and protocols and Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001).

The mission of UNODC

The UNODC aims to assist Member States in their fight against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism. It also decided to intensify efforts to combat transnational crime in all its manifestations, to increase efforts to implement the commitment to tackle the global drug problem and to take joint action against international terrorism.

The three main objectives of UNODC

• Carrying out technical cooperation projects in the field of field work to enhance the capacity of Member States to combat illicit drugs, crime and terrorism;
• Conducting research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of drug and crime issues and to expand the evidence base for policy and operational decisions;
• Assisting States in the ratification and implementation of relevant international treaties, developing national legislation on drugs, crime and terrorism and providing secretariat and substantive services to treaty-based and administrative bodies.

Final thoughts

In accordance with the United Nations conventions and other documents relating to money laundering and terrorist financing, the United Nations Global Programme against Money Laundering (GPML) was established, which is part of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This programme is primarily intended to assist Member States in introducing and implementing CDD and KYC legislation.