The United Arab Emirates has called on the international community to increase its efforts for keeping a check and tackling the links between organized crime and terrorism. The method suggested include bolstering the legal structure and utilizing the UN resolutions through their adequate implementation.

An open debate was held out by the UN Security Council to discuss the threats in open to international peace and security which are carried out by terrorists and their acts and also organized crime at national and international level. UAE conveyed a statement to UN Council saying, “The UAE co-sponsored (Security Council Resolution 2482 in 2019) because we strongly believe that our efforts to counter international terrorism cannot succeed without cutting of all sources of funding, including organized crime.”

UAE also relayed its concern regarding increasing association between terrorism and organized crime by taking advantage of global crisis of Covid-19 pandemic. The statement also said, “The UAE continues to update its legal frameworks and enhance efforts by law enforcement bodies to combat and criminalize terror financing and has also implemented the latest recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism systems.”

UAE also passed on the recommendation to UN system regarding holding Member States accountable for any financing or aid provided to terrorism. It was specially mentioned for instances when such incidents pose a violation to resolutions taken by Security Council and the obligated agreements under International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Furthermore, the country also called for the joint venturing by governments, private sector and other related organizations to tackle the acts of terrorism and organized crime by utilizing of resources of human, financial and logistical nature.

The statement added, “The UAE’s financial intelligence units are trained and equipped with the tools necessary to analyze and investigate suspicious transactions. Furthermore, the Central Bank is providing anti-money laundering training at the national and regional levels, in addition to implementing measures to address emerging challenges relating to terrorist financing. The UAE has also launched the ‘GoAML programme,’ which collects and analyses financial information to combat money laundering and terrorist financing in cooperation with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.”

UAE emphasized on the importance of global cooperation to address threats at transnational level. It further highlighted that UAE is a founding member of Financial Action Task Force for Middle East and North Africa (Egmont Group). It plays a crucial role of information exchange between financial intelligence agencies to help tackle the funding of terrorism in region.

At an international level, UAE highlighted its collaboration with France and UNESCO to help form an International Alliance for Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas to help block and prevent illegal trafficking and damage to cultural property by groups with terrorism aims.

UAE also laid stress on importance of strategies formation to address the associations between terrorism and organized crime as per every individual country according to its context for effective result. This would require elaborate and extensively carried out research with involvement of stakeholders at regional level, UAE concluded. 

WAM