The Financial Action Task Force released an updated list of countries for June that are working with FATF to “address strategic deficiencies” in their ability to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. The list includes updated statements for 15 countries that have “had their progress reviewed” by the FATF since February.

The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation in a June 30 blog post sought to clarify the term “reasonableness in licensing.” When deciding to unfreeze funds subject to sanctions for the payment of professional fees and expenses for legal services, OFSI must consider that those fees are “reasonable.”

The Office of Foreign Assets Control will officially remove the International Criminal Court-Related Sanctions Regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations, OFAC said in a notice. The sanctions were originally imposed under the Trump administration but sparked opposition from human rights advocates. President Joe Biden revoked them in April (see 2104020046). The removal takes effect July 6.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 2 sanctioned 22 people connected to Myanmar’s military regime. The designations include seven “key members” of the military and 15 of their spouses and adult children. “Today’s action demonstrates that the United States will continue to impose increasing costs on Burma’s military and promote accountability for those responsible for the military coup and ongoing violence, including by targeting sources of revenue for the military and its leaders,” OFAC Director Andrea Gacki said in a statement.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 2 removed four entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List. The entries were designated under Iran and nonproliferation sanctions. OFAC didn't immediately provide more information on the removals.

The United Nations Security Council and the United Kingdom removed sanctions from an Iraqi entity this week. The designation targeted Iraq’s State Contracting Water and Sewage Projects Company.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on June 28 updated a Belarus-related entry on its Specially Designated Nationals List. The update made changes to the entry for Oleg Leonidovich Slizhevsky, head of the Belarus Public Associations Department at the Ministry of Justice.

The U.S. designated Ousmane Illiassou Djibo, also known as Petit Chapori, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the State Department said June 28. Djibo is a native Nigerian and leader of the Islamic State Group operating in the Sahara region.

The United Arab Emirates recently introduced “significant” changes to how it administers sanctions, expanding its largely multilateral sanctions regime to also include unilateral measures, Akin Gump said June 28. The regime places new obligations on people and businesses in the UAE, including requirements to screen customers, freeze their assets and cut off transactions if customers violate UAE sanctions.

The Treasury Department is seeking comments on an information collection relating to the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations, the agency said in a notice. The regulations “pertain to the operation of various economic sanctions programs” administered by OFAC and are used to “monitor compliance” with regulatory requirements. Comments are due July 28.