North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina officials on Financial Disruption courses

Gevgelija, North Macedonia & Sarajevo Bosnia and Hercegovina, November/December 2022: UNODC jointly with OSCE organized Financial Disruption courses aimed at improving the skills of officials from North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to disrupt terrorist groups through the application of financial tools.

A total of 51 experts from the relevant authorities in North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in the courses and learned about techniques and methods in successful counter-terrorism investigations. The participants had an opportunity to study the ‘business model’ of terrorist networks and learned how to apply techniques, including auditing and vulnerability analysis, to disrupt the financing of terrorism. A team of eight local trainers, supported by two lead experts, delivered the course in each jurisdiction, which particularly aimed at strengthening inter-agency cooperation through joint work on localized scenarios.

The UNODC Serious and Organized Crime advisor for South-Eastern Europe took part in the training course in North Macedonia and addressed the inter-connectivity between drugs, crime and terrorism highlighting the need for synergies and coordination by following a multi-dimensional approach through combined law enforcement measures and cooperation in criminal matters, including in the area of anti-money laundering to tackle the financing of terrorism and transnational organized crime.

As part of the project objectives to equip competent authorities with the skills, knowledge and tools to successfully counter the financing of terrorism, UNODC donated IT equipment to the eight local trainers in each jurisdiction.

The training courses were organized with the financial support of the Government of the United States.