Money laundering: Ivory Coast officially removed from the FATF grey list

Côte d'Ivoire has reached a decisive milestone in reforming its financial system. On Friday, October 30, 2026, at the conclusion of its plenary session held at the OECD headquarters in Paris, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to remove the country from the list of jurisdictions subject to enhanced supervision, commonly known as the "grey list." This decision was officially announced by the international institution on its website.

In an official statement, the Minister of Economy, Finance, and Budget, Adama Coulibaly, emphasized that this decision "demonstrates the significant progress made by Côte d'Ivoire in implementing institutional, legislative, regulatory, and operational reforms." These reforms aimed to align the national framework for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing (AML/CFT/PF) with the strictest international standards.

Tribute to presidential leadership and national synergy

The minister expressed his deep gratitude to the President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara, whose strategic vision and leadership guided the conduct of these major projects, also acknowledging the involvement of the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the entire executive branch, national and sub-regional institutions.

This inclusion on the list highlights the strong synergy between the Ivorian public administration and private sector, including the liberal professions, working together to preserve the country's credibility and image on the international stage. The government also expressed its gratitude to the FATF, the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), and all Technical and Financial Partners for their rigorous support and timely implementation.

A dynamic to be sustained

While welcoming this positive outcome, which strengthens the country's financial attractiveness, the Ivorian government emphasizes that this withdrawal is not an end in itself. It is seen as "a call to continue the momentum of reforms and the sustainable consolidation of achievements." The government is thus committed to staying the course to guarantee, in the long term, the full effectiveness of its national system for combating financial crime.