Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis
Senior Advisor for Special Political Affairs
New York, New York
November 18, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Chair. And thank you, Ambassador Ladeb – and your committees – for your initiative in organizing this event on a pressing and vitally important issue that demands our attention and action. Recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, Niger, and the United Kingdom, among others, highlight the need for Member States to remain vigilant and work as a global community to counter the threat of terrorism and its financing.
To address this challenge, it is critical that all Member States implement a robust counter-terrorist financing framework that both fulfills their obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions and that is in line with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.
In this regard, we are very pleased that the UN has recognized FATF’s central role in setting global standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. The FATF promotes Member States’ implementation of the 1267 and 1373 regimes, as well as implementation of the important new obligation from Security Council Resolution 2462 to adequately criminalize and prosecute terrorist financing. More specifically, States are not only required to criminalize terrorist financing that is linked to a particular terrorist act, but also when funds are provided to terrorist groups or terrorists for any purpose, such as their travel or general operations.
For our part, the United States uses an all-tools approach to target terrorist financing. We collaborate across the public and private sectors to enhance information-sharing regarding terrorists’ financial data, transactions, and activities. We use this information and our economic authorities, including financial sanctions and law enforcement actions, to deny terrorists the ability to raise funds and to prevent terrorists from abusing the United States and global financial systems.
Unfortunately, as we have heard today, gaps remain in the global implementation of counter-terrorist financing standards. Whether these gaps are due to a lack of political will or capacity, we need to work together as a global community to ensure robust implementation by all Member States. We welcome any opportunity to advance this conversation, and again appreciate the 1267 and 1373 Committee Chairs for hosting this discussion today.
Thank you.
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