FOLLOW: Strengthening Capacities to Counter the Financing of Terrorism

Project FOLLOW addresses the persistent and evolving challenge of terrorism financing, which undermines global security, stability and financial systems. Despite strong international and national frameworks, significant gaps remain regarding the translation of commitments into operational measures, awareness of terrorism financing developments, in particular those related to emerging technologies, multiagency and cross border collaboration, and fostering approaches that promote financial inclusion and avoid unintended consequences, e.g., for the non-profit sector.

In its thematic summary assessment of the implementation of relevant Security Council Resolutions, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN CTED) highlights inconsistencies in the implementation of international countering terrorism financing standards, leading to inefficiencies in investigation, prosecution and disruption of terrorism financing activities. Emerging financial technologies such as virtual assets and online crowdfunding have outpaced regulatory adaptation, complicating terrorism financing detection and response.

In response, project FOLLOW strengthens the capacities of OSCE participating States (pS) and OSCE Partners for Co-operation (PfC) to prevent and combat the financing of terrorism by further improving their countering terrorism financing framework and enhancing regional, national and local capacity to prevent terrorists from raising, storing, moving and using funds for terrorist purposes, in compliance with international commitments and standards, in particular international human rights.

With a proven track record in CFT, Project FOLLOW builds on successful outcomes of its longstanding training programme implemented across the South Eastern European and Central Asian regions under the "Train-the-Trainer and Training Courses on Countering Terrorist Financing" project.

Expected project results:

Result 1. Awareness of current terrorism financing risks, especially those caused by new technologies, affiliated trends and developments, and related responses is increased among OSCE pS/PfC. The awareness-raising pillar will inform policy developments and provide the opportunity to improve, design and/or review national and regional approaches to countering the financing of terrorism, aligning them with international law, good practices and standards. Special attention will be given to emerging trends and challenges caused by new technologies.

Result 2. Capacities on countering the financing of terrorism in OSCE pS and PfC are increased. Activities under this pillar include capacity-building and other assistance to improve relevant actors’ operational ability to detect, prevent and combat terrorist financing. Activities will include trainings, advisory services, as well as mentoring and coaching for women professionals.

Result 3. Co-operation among OSCE pS/PfC to effectively disrupt and dismantle terrorist financing networks operating across borders is increased. Activities under this result will contribute to improving cross-border countering terrorism financing investigations and information-sharing mechanisms to foster a more co-ordinated approach on a regional level.

Result 4. Financial inclusion is increased and participatory human-rights compliant and gender-sensitive approaches in CFT are promoted. In addition to ensuring that all activities under this project do not lead to unintended consequences, a specific set of activities is proposed in line with the respective workstream of the Financial Action Task Force on Unintended Consequences that will promote consultative approaches specifically with the non-profit sector, financial inclusion, as well as human-rights compliant and gender-sensitive approaches in CFT.