At the FATF Plenary concluding on 13 February 2026 in Mexico, the Financial Action Task Force updated its public statements on high risk and other monitored jurisdictions, confirming changes that compliance teams should reflect immediately in country risk frameworks.
Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring
As of 13 February 2026, the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, commonly referred to as the grey list, includes: Algeria, Angola, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (UK), and Yemen.
The FATF noted that it now also identified Kuwait and Papua New Guinea following its February 2026 review cycle.
Grey listing does not automatically require de risking, but it commonly triggers a review of:
- Enhanced due diligence thresholds
- Transaction monitoring calibration for cross border activity
- Relationship approvals for higher risk exposures
- Periodic review frequency for customers connected to listed jurisdictions
As of 13 February 2026, the FATF continues to identify Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, and Myanmar as high risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action, often referred to as the black list.
For these jurisdictions, FATF calls for enhanced due diligence and, in the most serious cases, countermeasures to protect the international financial system.
The FATF publication accompanying the grey list notes that Haiti and Syria chose to defer reporting, meaning previously issued statements remain in place and may not reflect the most current progress position.
The FATF also stated that Algeria has substantially completed its action plan and warrants an on site assessment to verify implementation is underway and sustained.
What Compliance Programs Should Do Next
Compliance teams should treat plenary updates as formal triggers to:
- Update country risk matrices and scoring logic
- Re assess exposure to newly listed jurisdictions, including Kuwait and Papua New Guinea
- Refresh EDD playbooks for grey list and black list jurisdictions
- Document rationale for any risk rating changes, including where a jurisdiction is progressing toward an on site assessment
