Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - FATF

Joint special meeting on terrorist financing assesses risks and identifies way forward

BMUSONI — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 10:18:00 +0000

img_6409_cropped.jpg

A growing number of United Nations Member States are assessing specific terrorist financing risks and the vulnerability of their financial and economic sectors to terrorist financing. Also Member States that are not at high risk in terms of terrorism more broadly may still present a risk regarding the financing of terrorism. While terrorist entities and individuals are still relying on traditional forms of terrorist financing such as cash or money remitters, these groups are also utilizing the Internet and other forms of information and communication technologies to access, raise, and move funds.

These were some of the key themes raised in a joint special meeting of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, together with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), organized at the United Nations on 12 and 13 December 2016. Several tools already exist to counter terrorist financing, such as asset freezing requirements or information sharing mechanisms. The main challenge consists of implementing these tools effectively. The joint special meeting – held under the mandate of Security Council resolution 2253 (2015) on efforts to suppress terrorist financing, which expanded the sanctions framework to include ISIL (Da’esh) – provided an important forum for Member States and other actors to share practices and lessons learned that can guide the way forward in this area.

Documents

Draft concept note and agenda

Logistical note

Statements

Message by the Secretary-General to Joint special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), on “Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Practices and lessons learned” (New York, 12 December 2016)

Closing remarks by Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to Joint special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), on “Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Practices and lessons learned” (New York, 13 December 2016)

Opening remarks by Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to Joint special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), on “Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Practices and lessons learned” (New York, 12 December 2016)

Statement by FATF President Juan Manuel Vega-Serrano, 12 December 2016 — Download here

Statement by Dmitry V. Feoktistov, Deputy Director of the Department on New Challenges and Threats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Media

Press release

Joint special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF): Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Practices and lessons learned (13 December 2016: Sessions V and VI)

Presentation slides

2016-12-12-Session II 1130-1300 Andrey Seleznev EAG

2016-12-12-Session II 1130-1300 Philippe de Koster CTIF-FI

2016-12-12-Session-II-1130-1300-Sofia-Aisagaliyeva-Ministry-of-Finance-Kazakhstan

2016-12-12-Session III 1500-1630 Claudine Lamond AUSTRAC

2016-12-12-Session III 1500-1630 Kallina Simeonoff European Commission

2016-12-12-Session-IV-1630-1800-Israa-Abu-Shwimeh-Jordan

2016-12-12-Session IV 1630-1800 Stephane Sirard FINTRAC

2016-12-13-Session V 1000-1130 Amr Farouk EMLCU Egypt

2016-12-13-Session V 1000-1130 Giuseppina Daria Pellicano’ TFS Italy

2016-12-13-Session VI 1130-1300 Michelle Russell UK Charity Comission

2016-12-13-Session-VII-1500-1630-Francis-Usani-Nigeria

2016-12-13-Session VIII 1630-1750 Claudine Lamond, AUSTRAC

2016-12-13-Session VIII 1630-1750 Kallina Simeonoff, European Commission

Front Page Article:

PRESS RELEASE – United Nations Security Council – Two UN Security Council Committees and the Financial Action Task Force hold special meeting on depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds

BMUSONI — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 10:18:00 +0000

Download the press release

(NEW YORK) Despite efforts by the international community to deprive terrorists and terrorist groups of financial resources and prevent them from accessing the international financial system, terrorist groups continue to find ways to raise and move funds. Of particular concern is the urgent need to improve implementation of existing mechanisms for identifying and disrupting terrorist financing to prevent returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), dormant terrorist cells, and other terrorist support networks from accessing funds and assets.

“Combatting terrorism financing continues to be a priority for the international community, as notably demonstrated by last December’s historic Security Council meeting of Finance Ministers. In adopting its resolution 2253, the Council reaffirmed its determination to address the threat posed to international peace and security by Al-Qaida, ISIL, and their affiliates,” Ambassador Amr Aboulatta, Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) said in his opening remarks of the joint special meeting organized and chaired by the Security Council 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the CTC , in cooperation with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and held in New York on 12-13 December 2016.

The purpose of the special meeting – Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Practices and lessons learned.” – was to build on the outcomes of the Security Council meeting of December 2015, as well as on a similar joint meeting held in April 2016, and to examine national practices and regional initiatives to better implement relevant counter-terrorist financing instruments, including the related resolutions of the Council. It also enabled the two committees, Member States, and relevant international and regional organizations to continue their discussions of terrorism-financing trends and to share practices and effective tools to deprive terrorists of financial resources.

Front Page Article:

Joint special meeting of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, and the Financial Action Task Force on Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Prac

BMUSONI — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:18:00 +0000

terrorist-financing-poster-20161.png

#StopTerrorFinance

Despite efforts by the international community to deprive terrorists of the resources needed to commit terrorist acts, terrorist groups continue to find ways to raise and move funds, including through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Of particular concern is the urgent need to develop means to prevent returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and dormant terrorist cells from accessing funds and assets.

On 17 December last year, the Security Council – represented by their Member States’ Ministries of Finance – for the first time in its 70 year history, held a special meeting on combatting all forms of terrorist financing. In its meeting, the Council adopted resolution 2253, which inter alia called for strengthened international efforts to detect and disrupt terrorist groups’ funding flows.

As part of this work, the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will organize a joint special meeting on “Depriving terrorist groups from accessing, raising, and moving funds: Practices and lessons learned.” Taking place at United Nations headquarters on Monday 12-Tuesday 13 December 2016 in Conference room 2, the special meeting is open to Member and Observer States, members of the media including photographers with valid accreditation, United Nations staff and interns, UN entities, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies, as well as invited guests with a valid UN grounds pass. The event will be webcast at webtv.un.org.

Additional details can be found below. A press release issued immediately following an open briefing on a similar theme held in April 2016 can be found here.

Documents

Draft concept note and agenda

Logistical note

Statements

Statement by FATF President Juan Manuel Vega-Serrano, 12 December 2016 — Download here

Statement by Dmitry V. Feoktistov, Deputy Director of the Department on New Challenges and Threats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Media

Press release

Presentation slides

2016-12-12-Session II 1130-1300 Andrey Seleznev EAG

2016-12-12-Session II 1130-1300 Philippe de Koster CTIF-FI

2016-12-12-Session-II-1130-1300-Sofia-Aisagaliyeva-Ministry-of-Finance-Kazakhstan

2016-12-12-Session III 1500-1630 Claudine Lamond AUSTRAC

2016-12-12-Session III 1500-1630 Kallina Simeonoff European Commission

2016-12-12-Session-IV-1630-1800-Israa-Abu-Shwimeh-Jordan

2016-12-12-Session IV 1630-1800 Stephane Sirard FINTRAC

2016-12-13-Session V 1000-1130 Amr Farouk EMLCU Egypt

2016-12-13-Session V 1000-1130 Giuseppina Daria Pellicano’ TFS Italy

2016-12-13-Session VI 1130-1300 Michelle Russell UK Charity Comission

2016-12-13-Session-VII-1500-1630-Francis-Usani-Nigeria

2016-12-13-Session VIII 1630-1750 Claudine Lamond, AUSTRAC

2016-12-13-Session VIII 1630-1750 Kallina Simeonoff, European Commission

Front Page Article:

Joint UN/FATF open briefing on #StopTerrorFinance: Countering the financing of terrorism and depriving terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) and their affiliates, from their sources of funding

BMUSONI — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 18:11:00 +0000

14 April 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in Conference room 2

On Thursday 14 April 2016, the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will hold an open joint briefing on #StopTerrorFinance: Countering the financing of terrorism and depriving terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaida, ISIL (Da’esh) and their affiliates, from their sources of funding. Chairs are the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) together with the Security Council 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.

Taking place in Conference room 2 (UN headquarters in New York) from 11:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m., the briefing will be open to Member and Observer States, members of the media including photographers with valid accreditation, United Nations entities, intergovernmental organizations, specialized agencies, and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

The objective of the open briefing is to enable the two Security Council Committees, FATF, and Member States to discuss new and emerging terrorism-financing trends, and to highlight initiatives including with the private sector to help States enhance their information-sharing and thereby strengthen global efforts to prevent and counter terrorism financing.

The entire briefing will be webcast at webtv.un.org. For anybody with a UN grounds pass, there is no need to RSVP for this event; for everybody else, please RSVP no later than Tuesday 12 April by noon (ET) using the following link.

Agenda, April 12

Front Page Article:

Interview with Roger Wilkins, President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF):”We need to focus on concrete things that we can achieve together”

BMUSONI — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 22:29:00 +0000

Interview with Roger Wilkins, President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF):”We need to focus on concrete things that we can achieve together”
In a closed meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) held on 18 December 2014, the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Mr. Roger Wilkins briefed the Committee on FATF activities and cooperation between the United Nations and the FATF. Following the briefing, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) sat down with Mr. Wilkins for an exclusive interview.

What is FATF’s general assessment of the threat posed by terrorist financing globally?

This is obviously a very complex question. One of the major changes is that the concept of state-sponsored terrorism is no longer a major issue in the modern world of terrorism. What you are looking at now is actors operating in the same way as multinational corporations which are part of the global economy, generating funds through a number of different activities, including profit-making mechanisms. Usually they receive some funding through donations, but donations are not a sustainable source of funding as they tend to be a one-off. Instead, these actors use resources such as oil, diamonds, drugs… So we are looking at enterprises that trade in goods and produce, maybe even human trafficking to some extent – and moving funds. In the case of ISIL, they are not only running a de facto corporation, but also an army. Whereas the taking down of Al-Qaeda after 9/11 was largely successful, we now have the proliferation of Al-Qaeda branches nationally around the world, and we see the proliferation of funds as well. Another observation is that today terrorism is quite cheap, and that terrorism is linked to organized crime in imaginative and opportunistic ways.

How can the FATF contribute to the implementation of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) with regards to the prevention of the financing of foreign terrorist fighters and ISIL?

First of all, we have listed six steps that countries have to follow under the existing resolutions to comply with standards and requirements of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) – and we will hold them accountable to that through the normal processes. The second main thing is the project team that I referred to in my briefing to the Counter-Terrorism Committee, which we are hoping will come up with more intelligence, a better understanding of what money there is, where it is coming from, and spurring others to act on these findings. It is very clear to us that Security Council resolution 2178 falls within the purview of the FATF standards, as it is a terrorism financing-related resolution, so this is obviously something that will form part of our mutual evaluation process as we go through countries assessing their implementation.

What is the FATF doing to create greater awareness with the private sector about the risks of foreign terrorist fighters?

We do a lot of work in terms of guidance for the private sector on a whole range of issues, including in this area, that are distributed to key players in different countries. We also organise regular discussions with the private sector, and every year we have a proper consultation with the key players – banks, insurance companies, and regulatory bodies – at various levels. We also do a lot of engagement with the private sector as an important routine part of our country assessments. I think importantly now is that some regulators are raising the spectre of non-compliance with us, which is concentrating the minds of a number of private sector players to raise the level of awareness in a way I think they haven’t before. In some cases, for example, where banks have failed to comply with some of these regulations, large amounts of money have been paid in fines – and the publicity around these cases has done a lot in terms of raising private sector awareness. What is positive is that there is an appetite out there to find out more from us about these standards, and what these private actors need to do to comply with them.

How can the United Nations contribute to the work of FATF?

There are a number of practical things we can do together: First of all, the United Nations can assist in making our reports public, which helps in terms of making Member States and jurisdictions comply with our recommendations. Secondly, we want to make sure that the UN’s and the FATF’s country assessments are in line. In today’s briefing, which was very useful, we talked about the parameters of the problem; next we need to talk about systems, incentives, opportunities, and solutions, in a broader follow-up conversation.

The past mutual evaluations have shown that Member States experience challenges in implementing the freezing of terrorist assets. What could be done to improve the compliance of Member States with their obligations and to emphasize on the benefits of these preventive measures?

I think there needs to be a lot more continued outreach in this area, as well as making technical assistance available. This is a universal problem. I think there are several countries that don’t understand what they need to do to mitigate their terrorism financing risks – which is different from their terrorism risk. Everybody needs to do their part; otherwise money will continue to flow through the weakest link.

In some Member States there might be a lack of political will, in others a lack of capacity, and in a third group of countries a misunderstanding of what can or cannot be achieved by the legal system. We need to get away from what can at times be abstract discussions and focus on operational, concrete things that we can achieve together.

Front Page Article: