As part of the ongoing project to strengthen the legal regime against terrorism in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch (UNODC/TPB) organized a regional workshop on cross-border cooperation to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts. The workshop was held from 27 to 29 May 2015 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The workshop was the last activity organized under phase I of the project for Iraq, generously funded by the Government of Japan.
It was attended by high-level policymakers and criminal-justice experts and officials from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. The officials from Italy, Spain and the United States, as well as experts from the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, Egmont Group, INTERPOL, MENA Financial Action Task Force, United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),joined the MENA officers bringing the total number of participants to 42.
The opening ceremony of this high-level event included speeches by the representative of the Japanese Embassy in Cairo, Egypt and Iraq, as well as UNODC/TPB.
Presentations and in-depth discussions took place on the legal and operational challenges to prevent and suppress the financing of ISIL, ANF and other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida in view of the requirements of the international legal instruments against terrorism, the United Nations sanctions regime and Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2199 (2015).
INTERPOL's and UNESCO's approaches on the topic of the illicit trafficking and sale of antiquities and cultural artefacts as a source of terrorism financing were presented by their experts. UNODC/TPB addressed this issue in the context of Security Council resolution 2199 (2015) and the possible mechanisms of international cooperation. All of this was discussed thoroughly with the audience, opening the door for more cooperation with UNODC/TPB on this thematic area.
Through concrete cases and simulation exercises, experts and national participants explored good practices and brainstormed on common challenges, while very technical discussions took place among participants regarding the key role of financial intelligence units (FIUs), the collaboration between FIUs, investigators and prosecutors, the key role of the banking sector and money transfer institutions in preventing terrorism financing, and the monitoring, detection and analysis of intelligence related to terrorism financing.
MENA delegations presented their experiences and challenges in freezing assets and in the prosecution and investigation of terrorist financing cases. The international judicial cooperation, the investigation of cross-border terrorism financing cases and joint investigation teams were also among the topics discussed. The workshop concluded with a round-table during which the participants formulated urgent actions that Iraq and MENA could take regarding the topics discussed throughout the activity.
Participants expressed their full support to UNODC/TPB's technical assistance provided to Iraq and other MENA countries, as well as their commitment to facilitate cooperation with UNODC/TPB.