After the attacks on the US on September 11th, 2001, many measures have been put in place worldwide to counter terrorism and trace the financial flows of terrorists by which they finance their actions. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), established by the G7 in the early ’90, has recommended States to mitigate the risks that Non-profit Organizations, like charities, humanitarian organizations and development NGOs, are abused by terrorists for transferring money (Terrorism Financing). Although the statistical evidence of terrorist abuses of NGOs is very little, the measures and laws put in place by states to regulate and control the NGO-sector are increasingly high. There is an urgent need to strike a better balance between the aims of counter-terrorism laws and measures on one hand, and the action of NGOs which adhere to their principles of inclusion, impartiality, autonomy and the humanitarian imperative, on the other.

Humanity House, Human Security Collective and ICCO & Kerk in Actie are organizing a meeting to discuss the impact of counter terrorism measures on NGOs. There will be a specific emphasis on Humanitarian Organizations and on how the EU counter-terrorism-financing-guidelines will affect NGOs. Also the possible future engagement process between NGOs and FATF will be presented.

About the speakers

Kay Mackintosh is author of the report Study of the Impact of Donor Counter-Terrorism Measures on Principled Humanitarian Action (OCHA/NRC). Ben Hayes – Author of the ReportCounter-terrorism, ‘policy laundering’ and the FATF: legalizing surveillance, regulating civil society (Transnational Institute / Statewatch). Judith Sargentini – MEP for the greens in Brussels. Fulco van Deventer – deputy director of Human Security Collective, developing engagement on FATF. Moderator will be Kees Oosterholt.