New Delhi - Media & Communication Dept. - November 19
The State of Qatar affirmed that modern technologies provide unprecedented capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of measures taken to combat terrorism and its financing, pointing out that creative and constructive thinking is necessary to find ways to employ these technologies in counter-terrorism financing.
This came in the statement of the State of Qatar, delivered by HE Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani before the third 'No Money for Terror' Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing in the Indian Capital city of New Delhi.
His Excellency said that in light of the rapid development of information technology and other modern technologies, there are unprecedented threats presented by terrorists trying to take advantage of these technologies to fund terrorism, through suspicious financial transactions, which is a threat that includes the terrorists abuse of the Internet to raise funds, and exploit digital wallets, cryptocurrencies, and social media platforms to collect and transfer funds.
He explained that it is important to keep pace with these threats and constantly assess their nature and consequences, as well as address them according to an integrated and multidimensional collective approach, and develop the necessary policies and procedures to address all of their technical aspects.
His Excellency pointed out that the starting point to facing these challenges lies in a clear understanding of these risks at the national level, and the promotion of effective regional and international cooperation in accordance with the provisions of international law and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, in addition to applying the latest international standards, and participating in international and regional arrangements, which aim to eradicate terrorism and its financing.
He added that at the national level, the legislative framework for combating terrorism and its financing has been strengthened, through the updating of national laws and regulations, which was evident in the recent review of the State of Qatar's implementation of the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which was remarkably positive in relation to the 40 recommendations.
His Excellency stressed the keenness of the State of Qatar to enhance the national understanding of these risks, and to coordinate cooperation at the national level, especially the coordination between law enforcement agencies and the financial sector in order to ensure the effective implementation of the state's obligations in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation, and to implement targeted financial sanctions in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and FATF standards.
He added that at the international level, the State of Qatar actively participates in the multilateral arrangements concerned with combating the financing of terrorism, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the MINI FATF, the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), as well as the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), the Global Coalition Against Daesh and the Egmont Group.
His Excellency explained that because the State of Qatar is aware of the centrality of the United Nations role in coordinating and supporting international efforts to combat terrorism and its financing, Qatar is one of the most important partners for the international bodies concerned with combating terrorism and its financing, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), which concluded in its latest report that the State of Qatar has an accumulated experience in this regard and the possibility of its providing technical support to other countries in the context of combating terrorism and combating its financing.
HE the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution said that the threat of terrorism financing is in a state of unprecedented development, stressing the need to think and focus on new and effective ways to address the financing of terrorism, and finding ways to benefit from modern technology, as well as relying more on the exchange of financial intelligence information between States, improving coordination between the private and public sectors, with the exchange of necessary information between them, continually evaluating risks, and determining the necessary classifications, while adhering in all cases to legal considerations and procedures in the context of combating terrorism and combating its financing, and with the importance of establishing procedural and legal controls to combat digital financing of terrorism.