Introduction:
The underlying motives of terrorism and organized crime are different. But both present a serious challenge to the international community, as organized crime methods used more and more by terrorists only makes more serious the threat from terrorism.
Terrorists can engage in transnational crimes to generate funding for their operations, and can rely on transnational criminal networks for logistical and material support.
Many forms of crime can be used to contribute to terrorism financing. On the other hand legally obtained funds may also be used for the purpose of terrorism financing.
Considering this, the following action points are recommended:
1- Strengthening international, regional and bilateral cooperation among states to identify, disrupt and dismantle the financial underpinnings of terrorism, as well as the activities of organized crime groups, illegal weapons and explosives trafficking and illicit narcotics trade. Countries should endeavor to create legal frameworks that allow for flexible exchange of operational information in a flexible way between competent authorities, both domestically, regionally and internationally.
2- Encouraging countries to fully implement the existing Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Finance of Terrorism (AML/CFT) international standards, in particular the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 + 9 Recommendations and the relevant UN Conventions and Security Council Resolutions as well best practices to counter money laundering and financing of terrorism through:
- strengthening the efforts of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in AML/CFT;
- encouraging countries not subject to mutual evaluation by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) or FATF Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs) to volunteer for assessment by International Monetary Fund and World Bank;
- encourage all countries to develop Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) that meet the Egmont Group Definition and standards and to have these FIUs to join the Egmont Group to share experience, expertise and operational information.
3- Asking the United Nations to work together with the FATF and FSRBs to further elaborate international standards to ensure the fulfillment of the Charitable and humanitarian role of Charities and non-profit organizations by regulating their operations and by preventing their use in illegal activities. The articulation of these standards should be conducted in the context of the FATF and FSRBs.
4- Ensuring effective information flow among relevant law enforcement, national security and intelligence agencies with AML/CFT responsibilities. Additionally, countries should, to the greatest extent possible, ensure cooperation among agencies on a bilateral, regional and international basis.
5- Increasing national, bilateral, and regional cooperation and coordination among agencies combating terrorism, as well as money laundering, arms and explosives trafficking, and drugs smuggling and supporting the sharing of expertise and experiences, for instance by training, to ensure effectiveness in the fight against terrorists and organized crime.
6- Enhancing laws on combating arms and explosives trafficking and drugs smuggling, money laundering and improving the capacities of law enforcement agencies (including judicial authorities) to implement those laws.
7- The international community should reinvigorate its efforts to develop and refine mechanisms that enable countries to comply fully with their obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1373 to freeze without delay the assets of terrorist and those who materially support them. In particular, countries should provide accurate, reliable, and complete data at their disposal of any individual name, organization or entity as well as information on the involvement in terrorism prior to the submission of the designation to the 1267 Committee. Delisting procedures should be established.
8- Encouraging the creation of special domestic bodies that would manage seized and confiscated assets and funds derived from money laundering, terrorism financing, arms and drugs smuggling and organized crime. These funds could be used for strengthening the means allocated to the fight against these forms of crime, as well as to compensate and assist victims of terrorism.
9. At national level, identifying individuals and entities that are suspected in the financing of terrorism. At the FIU level, this information could be shared freely and rapidly and in line with the Egmont principles. In case of discovery of relevant information, countries should respond through appropriate channels. 10. Encouraging countries to undertake a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a system for collection and analysis, by the FIUs of international wire transfers to facilitate the detection of transactions or patterns that may be indicative of money laundering or financing terrorism. Recommendations from Third Working Group Experiences and Lessons Learned from Counter Terrorism Adopted by the Plenary Session 1. The essential basis for success is an effective national cross-government counter-terrorism strategy, which sets out clear and measurable objects for all relevant departments and agencies, including law enforcement, intelligence, military, interior and foreign affairs.
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