On 18 December 2025, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) took part in the launch event hosted by the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact dedicated to the new Guidance on "Ensuring Respect for Human Rights while Taking Measures to Counter the Financing of Terrorism" issued with the support of relevant members and observers of the Compact’s Working Groups on Criminal Justice, Legal Responses and Countering the Financing of Terrorism, and on Protecting and Promoting Human Rights, the Rule of Law and Supporting Victims of Terrorism.
CTED and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), whose experts co-led the preparation of the Guidance, presented its key findings and recommendations.
In his opening statement, Mr. David Scharia, CTED’s Chief of Branch, emphasized: “We provided Member States with concrete, practical and actionable steps to support implementation of Security Council resolutions, international counterterrorism treaties and FATF recommendations, while simultaneously safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Presenting the Guidance, CTED recalled applicable requirements on countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) addressed in the Guidance, including on criminalization of terrorism financing and related investigations and prosecutions, gathering financial intelligence and information sharing, terrorism-related targeted financial sanctions, addressing nexus between terrorism financing and trafficking in persons, implementation of risk-based approach when protecting non-profit organizations, and on roles and responsibilities of the private sector, including financial institutions. The presentation also highlighted key gaps and challenges in implementing these requirements with respect to human rights implications.
OHCHR underscored the human rights framework underpinning this Guidance and presented key recommendations aimed at ensuring that the implementation of those CFT measures is carried out in full compliance with international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law.
In the panel discussion, invited experts reflected on how CFT frameworks — including Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards — are applied in practice, and how misuse or over-implementation of measures can affect civil society and human rights defenders. They also explained how FATF’s risk-based methodology has evolved to respond to concerns raised with regards to unintended consequences of CFT measures and to better safeguard financial inclusion, legitimate non-profit and humanitarian activity. Experts from Compact’s entities involved in the provision of technical assistance outlined how the Guidance will inform their programmatic and capacity-building activities on CFT, including operational and legislative assistance.
Participants representing Member States, international and regional organizations, as well as civil society welcomed the release of the Guidance as highly timely and needed, and shared additional perspectives on the topic.
In closing, participants were encouraged to make active use of the Guidance as a practical tool when reviewing CFT-related legislation, policies, and practices, as well as a basis and reference for an inclusive dialogue with civil society, humanitarian actors, and the private sector, whose engagement remains essential as part of a whole-of-society approach to counterterrorism.
Additional information and resources:
- United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee’s “Non-binding guiding principles on preventing, detecting and disrupting the use of new and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes” (also known as the “Algeria Guiding Principles”)
- CTED’s work on CFT and Human Rights
Relevant FATF materials:
- Best Practices on Combating the Abuse of Non-Profit Organisations (fatf-gafi.org)
- Protecting non-profits from abuse for terrorist financing through the risk-based implementation of revised FATF Recommendation 8 (fatf-gafi.org)
- FATF updates Standards and consults on guidance to better promote financial inclusion
- FATF publishes new Guidance on Financial Inclusion and Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Measures
- FATF Launches New Procedure to Address Unintended Consequences Affecting Non-Profit Organisations
Research materials (as presented at the Launch Event):