As the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) shapes global standards, its enforcement – especially greylisting – raises concerns about fairness and effectiveness in developing countries. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu analyses the FATF’s ratings of African countries and examines how they compare with other assessments. She highlights structural tensions, and argues for more legitimate, context-sensitive processes, while recommending managerial cooperation and interactive compliance, rather than sanctions, to foster a fairer and more effective global financial integrity regime.