Partially at the behest of the international community

International community

The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...

, Nauru

Nauru

Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...

’s government no longer sanctions certain activities that, while technically legal, could serve to facilitate criminal activity. In 2003, it ended the controversial practice of selling its passports. It also banned offshore bank

Offshore bank

An offshore bank is a bank located outside the country of residence of the depositor, typically in a low tax jurisdiction that provides financial and legal advantages. These advantages typically include:...

s. In 2005, Nauru was still placed on the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering's (FATF)

Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering

The Financial Action Task Force , also known by its French name, Groupe d'action financière , is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7. The purpose of the FATF is to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing...

 List of Non-Cooperative Countries (NCCTs). A division of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...

, the FATF was created in 1989 to address global concerns over the proliferation of money laundering

Money laundering

Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...

. A generally low rate of petty crime in Nauru has been reported.