Seminar on “Countering the Financing of Terrorism”

With the objective of increasing the understanding of the measures to combat terrorist financing specifically in the analysis and presentation of the international standards on financial integrity, the countering of the financing of terrorism and anti-money laundering, the Legal and Judicial Training Centre is going to organise a five-day seminar on “Countering the Financing of Terrorism” that will take place in the auditorium of the Civil Service Training Centre located on Alameda Dr. Carlos D’ Assumpção n.° 322-362, Cheng Feng Commercial Centre, 7th floor, on December 12th to 16th, from 6pm to 8:30pm. Integrated in the 3rd Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field between Macao Special Administrative Region and the European Union, this Seminar will feature as its keynote speaker Mr. Giuseppe Lombardo, Consultant in financial integrity, anti-money laundering and the countering of the financing of terrorism; Associate Professor of Anti-Money Laundering Legislation (appointed) – LUMSA University, Rome, Italy and Ex-Senior Counsel of the Legal Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Seminar will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation into Cantonese and Portuguese. During the five daily sessions, the following topics will be discussed: 1) The International standards for the criminalisation of terrorist financing: a. The session will focus on the main legal requirements for the criminalisation of terrorist financing (1999 UN Convention and Recommendation 5 of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force)) requirements for the criminalisation of foreign fighters; b. Main challenges in the effective implementation of these requirements (and the best practices to overcome them). 2) The international standard for the freezing of terrorist assets (I): a. The session will discuss the main requirements for the freezing of terrorist assets (FATF Recommendation 6), with a special focus on the UNSCR (United Nations Security Council Resolution) 1267 (and successor resolutions, including UNSCR1988 (2011) and UNSCR 1989 (2011)); b. Main challenges in the effective implementation of these requirements (and the best practices to overcome them): identification of targets (including by obliged entities) and the implementation of the freezing / prohibition requirements. 3) The international standard for the freezing of terrorist assets (II): a. The session will discuss the main requirements for the freezing of terrorist assets (FATF Recommendation 6), with a special focus on UNSCR 1373 and UN 2253 (2015) on ISIL; b. Main challenges in the effective implementation of these requirements (and the best practices to overcome them): the standard for domestic designation, the identification of targets (including by obliged entities) and the implementation of the freezing / prohibition requirements. 4) The international standard for the suppression of the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: a. The session will discuss the main requirements introduced by FATF Recommendation 7 and UNSCRs 1718 (2006) and 1737 (2006); b. The main challenges in implementing them and the best practices in overcoming them. 5) The latest trends and typologies in terrorist financing (and the main challenge to tackle them effectively): a. The session will focus on the main trends and typologies in terrorist financing (foreign fighters, ISIL etc.), as identified by FATF papers and by the experience of certain countries; b. The role of the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) and intelligence; the role of reporting entities in detecting targets and/or suspicious transactions related to terrorist financing. The 3rd Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field between the Macao Special Administrative Region and the European Union, which incorporates this Seminar, has as its main objective “Promote the Development and Modernisation of the Macao Special Administrative Region’s Legal System” and is going to take place until November 2019. The execution of the Co-operation Programme is coordinated by the Legal Affairs Bureau, together with many entities and public departments of the Macao Special Administrative Region, namely the Legal and Judicial Training Centre, the Institute of European Studies of Macau, the Economic Services, the Consumer Council and the Social Welfare Bureau.