On Friday, 15 July 2022 (9:00 – 10:30am EDT), the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) will hold a virtual launch event to discuss Concerns over the use of proceeds from the exploitation, trade, and trafficking of natural resources for the purposes of terrorism financing, with reference to its most recent Trends Alert issued on 30 June 2022.
Agenda
9:00 am – Opening Remarks by Mr David Scharia, Director and Chief of Branch (CTED)
9:10 am – Conversational discussion with panelists focusing on identified cases of terrorism financing through proceeds from exploitation of natural resources and current challenges in preventing and countering such abuses:
• Dr. Katharine Petrich, Visiting Assistant Professor of Terrorism and Non-proliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
• Ms. Chania Lackey, Regional Programs Coordinator, Global Center on Cooperative Security
• Mr. Maurice Toupane, Senior Researcher at the Regional Office for West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, Institute for Security Studies
• Ms. Sofia Dems, Associate Expert on Countering the Financing of Terrorism, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Moderated by Ms Svetlana Martynova, Senior Legal Officer and Coordinator on Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CTED) and Ms Angela Vinasco, Political Affairs Officer (CTED)
10:00 – Pre-registered statements from the floor (3 min maximum) and Q & A
10:25 – Closing Remarks by Ms Svetlana Martynova, Senior Legal Officer and Coordinator on Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CTED)
The Trends Alert provides a brief summary of several actual and potential uses of revenues generated from the exploitation, trade, and trafficking of natural resources for the purposes of terrorism financing. Despite the challenges involved in ascertaining the precise amounts of proceeds generated from natural resources-related exploitation and crimes used for terrorism financing purposes, evidence indicates that they are sufficient to provide regular revenues to some terrorist groups. The examples provided demonstrate how terrorist groups are able to strategically diversify their funding streams into a variety of both illicit and licit activities relating to, inter alia, oil and natural gas, resources used for agriculture and fishing, wildlife, or minerals and precious metals. Some of these examples entail taking control of parts of the local economies upon which communities subsist.
This Trends Alert also sheds light on how the trade in natural resources often spills across borders and its proceeds may infiltrate the financial systems of countries not directly affected by the presence of terrorist groups in their territories. A deeper understanding of the nature and scope of these interconnections and their implications in country- and/or region-specific circumstances is key to adopting appropriate and effective policies and responses. The report further confirms the continuing need for States to develop the necessary procedures and tools and enhance the capacity of the relevant practitioners to investigate proactively and systematically whether the proceeds of crimes involving natural resources were intended (or used) for terrorism financing.
The publication was prepared by CTED in accordance with Security Council resolution 2395 (2017), which directs CTED to conduct analytical work on emerging issues, trends and developments and to make its analytical products available throughout the United Nations system. CTED Trends Alerts aim to provide the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, United Nations agencies, and policymakers with a concise analysis of specific issues, trends and developments, as identified through CTED’s engagement with Member States on their implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
For questions or additional information, please contact Ms Svetlana Martynova, Senior Legal Officer and Coordinator on Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CTED) at martynovas@un.org and Ms Angela Vinasco, Political Affairs Officer (CTED) at angela.vinasco@un.org .
Outcomes and other meeting materials are available here.