FATF welcomes Manama declaration: a valuable step forward in the fight against terrorism in the MENA region

The Kingdom of Bahrain hosted the Manama Meeting on Combating the Financing of Terrorism on 9 November 2014.   The meeting was on occasion for participating countries to demonstrate their commitment to put a halt to the financing of terrorist groups and activities in all its forms.  The FATF is deeply concerned with the financing of the terrorist group ISIL in particular, and is fully committed to dealing with this urgent threat and the financing of other terrorist groups.   

The FATF issued a FATF action on the terrorist group ISIL on 24 October, setting out how the FATF Recommendations can help in :

• investigating and prosecuting those who finance terrorism;
• implementing targeted financial sanctions; and
• applying preventive measures to stop terrorists using the financial system or NPOs.

At the same time, the FATF decided to look at the sources and methods of funding for ISIL.

The FATF participated actively in the Manama Meeting on Combating the Financing of Terrorism, and welcomed the determination of the participating countries to fight terrorism in the region. 

The closing declaration of the Manama meeting is a therefore a valuable step forward, showing the strength of international commitment, and the relevance of the counter-terrorist finance tools set out in the FATF Recommendations and UN Resolutions. In particular, the statement emphasized the need for the full and effective implementation of the FATF Recommendations and active participation in the FATF's global network by countries in the region.

Further reading:   

• Manama declaration - published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 
• FATF Statement: 'FATF action on the terrorist group ISIL'