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UN Sanctions List Update: Taliban/Al-Qaida Entities

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/117 · issued 11 Aug 2009 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI directs banks to update their internal lists with the latest UNSCR 1267/1822 consolidated list of terrorist individuals and entities, and cross-check all account openings and existing transactions against it.
Sanctions-list safety note. This circular refers to a specific UN Security Council / UAPA designated-entities list update as it stood on the date above — sanctions lists change often, and a newer update almost certainly exists today. Never use this page, or any single dated circular, as your current screening list. Always screen against the live, current list at the official UAPA proscribed-organisations list and the UN Consolidated List, and confirm the obligations for your bank on the official rbi.org.in source below.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A KYC & compliance officer in Indore is opening a new account for a customer. She first goes to the UN website to get the latest list of terrorist individuals and entities, then checks the customer's name against it. She finds no match, so she proceeds. Later, she also runs a daily check on all existing loan accounts against the same list to make sure no one on it is using the bank.

What changed

RBI forwarded three new UN Sanctions Committee notes (dated May 28, June 19, and June 29, 2009) containing changes to the consolidated list of Taliban/Al-Qaida-linked individuals and entities. Banks must update their records accordingly and ensure rigorous screening of all accounts and transactions.

What it means for you

Banks must immediately update their internal watchlists with the revised UN consolidated list and screen all new account applications and existing account transactions for matches. Any accounts or transactions resembling listed entities must be reported to RBI and FIU-India. Compliance officers must acknowledge receipt of this circular.

What you must do

Who it affects

All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Local Area Banks, Financial Institutions

❓ Common questions

Where can we find the complete consolidated list?

The full list is available on the UN website at http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/consolist.shtml.

What should we do if we find a match with the updated list?

You must report such accounts or transactions to both the Reserve Bank of India and the Financial Intelligence Unit-India.

Who is responsible for acknowledging this circular?

The Compliance Officer or Principal Officer of the bank should acknowledge receipt of this circular letter.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-10/117 DBOD. AML. No. 2680 /14.06.051/2009-10 August 11, 2009 The Chairman / CEOs of all Scheduled Commercial Banks (Excluding RRBs)/ Local Area Banks / Financial Institutions Dear Sir, List of Terrorist Individuals/Organisations - under UNSCR 1267(1999) and 1822(2008) on Taliban/Al-Qaida Organisation Please refer to our letter DBOD. AML.No.21981/14.06.050/2008-09 dated June 23, 2009. We have since received from the Government of India copy each of the notes dated May 28, 2009, June 19, 2009 and June 29, 2009 from the Chairman of United Nations Security Council’s Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee regarding changes made in the committee’s Consolidated List of Individuals and entities under UNSCR 1267 (1999) and 1822(2008) on Taliban/Al-Qaida, as per Annex . 2. The consolidated list of individuals/entities as per UN1267 Sanction Committee may suitably be updated at your end. Utmost care should be taken by banks to ensure to cross check all account opening applications and transactions carried out in the existing accounts with the updated consolidated list and report those accounts to Reserve Bank of India & Financial Intelligence Unit-India which bear resemblance with the individuals/ entities listed therein. 3.    The complete details of the said consolidated list are available on the UN website:        http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/consolist.shtml 4.    Compliance Officer/Principal Officer should acknowledge receipt of this circular letter. Yours faithfully, (P. K. Das) Deputy General Manager Encl: As above
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/117 · issued 11 Aug 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Who does what — compliance checklist
🏦 Branch Manager
  • Cross-check all new account opening applications and existing account transactions against the updated list.
📜 Compliance
  • Update your internal consolidated list of terrorist individuals/entities with the latest UNSCR 1267/1822 changes from the UN website.
  • Report any accounts or transactions that match or resemble listed individuals/entities to RBI and FIU-India immediately.
  • Ensure your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular letter.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Local Area Banks, Financial Institutions), your first concrete step on “UN Sanctions List Update: Taliban/Al-Qaida Entities” is: “Update your internal consolidated list of terrorist individuals/entities with the latest UNSCR 1267/1822 changes from the UN website.” (RBI issued this 11 Aug 2009).

  1. Circular: RBI/2009-10/117 -- UN Sanctions List Update: Taliban/Al-Qaida Entities
  2. Issued: 11 Aug 2009
  3. Action required: Update your internal consolidated list of terrorist individuals/entities with the latest UNSCR 1267/1822 changes from the UN website.
  4. Action required: Cross-check all new account opening applications and existing account transactions against the updated list.
  5. Action required: Report any accounts or transactions that match or resemble listed individuals/entities to RBI and FIU-India immediately.
  6. Action required: Ensure your Compliance Officer/Principal Officer acknowledges receipt of this circular letter.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.

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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=5210&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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