On 3 May 2019 the expert advisory council of VDD’s Counterterrorism Centre was held in order to discuss the current developments and required measures to prevent terrorist financing and tackle radicalisation risks among counterterrorism experts as well as representatives of other fields.
Advisory council participants were briefed about the results in the field of terrorist financing prevention, while discussing also the required future measures. One of identified measures is drafting of terrorist financing prevention strategy as laid down in the national terrorist financing risk report. VDD presented to the advisory council the structure of the future strategy. The representatives of institutions supported the strategy project and expressed that the strategy for terrorist financing prevention would foster an overarching and joint approach. They also indicated that defining the basic principles and lines of action to prevent terrorist financing according to the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL) would increase the awareness of competent authorities, banks, credit institutions and other financial institutions of measures required to prevent terrorist financing risks.
During the second part of the advisory council meeting VDD presented the activities service had undertaken to prevent radicalisation risks as well as activities within the informal inter-institutional working group “Prevent”. “Prevent” was established by VDD in January 2018 to coordinate radicalisation prevention measures at national level. VDD chairs the "Prevent" working group, its other members represent the Ministry of Welfare, Ministry of Education and Science, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, State Police, State Border Guard, Prisons Administration and State Probation Service. The sectoral representatives welcomed the establishment of such inter-institutional format and effective inter-institutional cooperation to identify the risks of radicalisation at the earliest stage. Advisory council decided to set "Prevent" as a working group functioning within the advisory council. Participants of the meeting strongly emphasised the necessity to continue raising awareness of the officials of competent authorities and general public about signs of radicalisation, thereof fostering the engagement of wider public in identifying cases of radicalisation.
The Counterterrorism Centre expert advisory council is a consultative and coordinating body with the aim to foster and improve the cooperation within the counterterrorism field among VDD and state and municipal institutions in order to ensure the readiness of the State to effectively tackle terrorism threat and remedy the consequences. The advisory council was established in 2006, its members gather at least once per semester. The advisory council gathers representatives of such institutions as the Constitution Protection Bureau, Defence Intelligence and Security Service, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prosecutor General’s Office, Office for Prevention of Laundering of Proceeds Derived from Criminal Activity, National Armed Forces, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and Ministry of Health. From 2018 the Ministry of Finance and Financial and Capital Market Commission are also represented at the advisory council.
Information prepared by VDD
Illustrative photo, VDD
