Bi-weekly News and Opinion Roundup - December , 2022

Dear Colleagues, Supporters, and Friends, 

We at the Charity & Security Network extend our best wishes to you and those close to you as we come to the end of another year. 

In our final newsletter for 2022, we want to provide a look back over the developments and progress made during this year. We also want to provide a hopeful outlook for even more in 2023. This hopeful outlook has been made much easier in just the past two weeks with the significant developments in the UN and US that establish broad protections for a range of critical humanitarian and societal capacity activities across all sanctioned regions - truly a tectonic change in the ability for our community to do its work with fewer obstacles. 

In addition to our success on sanctions, 2022 yielded breakthrough developments across all C&SN issue areas, including: our ongoing fight for removing barriers to financial services for NGOs working in conflict zones, combating the abuse of counterterrorism law to silence NGOs and human rights defenders, and raising awareness regarding the strategies of politically motivated actors that manipulate legal systems to disrupt civil society.

Before we detail our year, however, we want to extend our greatest appreciation and thanks for all of the hard work that you do. We could not provide the support and connections we do without your cooperation, coordination, and guidance. This newsletter covers a lot of ground. We have heard from our members that one of the things you value is CS&N’s role as a source of information and “early warning” about emerging trends and challenges. We hope this year end newsletter will continue to do that, and if you have questions about any of the topics please reach out to us. 

As we all know, there is still much work to do to protect and create a better environment for civil society. However, we must also take the time to reflect and celebrate the progress that has come and use that as motivation and inspiration to continue our work.

From all of us here at C&SN, we wish you a safe and joyous year and season.

Sincerely, 

Paul Carroll 

Navigating Sanctions Workshop

PoliSync is hosting a training on sanctions for humanitarian actors. This multi-day course will be held both in May and July of 2023 and will be facilitated by Dr. Erica Moret, a leading expert on sanctions, global security, and humanitarian affairs. Full details and registration for the coursework can be found at PoliSync. Register by December 22, 2022 for the early-bird discount.

Call for Inputs: Global Study on the Impact of Counter-Terrorism Measures on Civil Society and Civic Space

This forthcoming independent global study will be the first to evaluate the impact of counter-terrorism measures on civil society and civic space. Civil society, UN member states, and regional and international organizations can submit input until the February 1, 2023 deadline. Guidelines found at UN OHCHR.  

Submit Feedback: UN New Agenda for Peace

The United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UNDPPA) is calling for input from civil society and representatives from all around the world on their upcoming New Agenda for Peace. You can view the UN's call for submissions here, and submit your ideas to NewAgendaForPeace@un.org in any of the six UN official languages by January 15, 2023.

The Global Nonprofits Guide

DLA Piper, ECNL and PILnet have created a free toolkit for navigating nonprofit laws around the world.

Nonprofit Banking Tool

This free toolkit, created by ECNL and PILnet, allows the user to compare the conditions of how nonprofits can open and manage bank organizational bank accounts in 35 different European countries. 

Guide on Digitally-Mediated Assemblies and How to Monitor Them

The ECNL has created a comprehensive guide to monitor and navigate regulations regarding digitally-mediated assemblies.

The Protection and Promotion of Civic Space: Strengthening Alignment with International Standards and Guidance

The OECD’s comparative report on civic space offers data from 52 countries, providing a review of legal frameworks, strategies, gaps, trends and good practices for maintaining and protecting a vibrant civic space. (Dec. 16)

Who Really Benefits From Banning White Supremacist Groups?

Anna Meier at Lawfare explores the history of designating right-wing terrorist organizations in Germany, and argues that the German model actually bolsters structural forces that target minority communities. (Dec. 18)

Security Council Examines Rising Terrorism Threat Globally

Discussions centered around three areas: the internet and social media, countering terrorism financing and new payment technologies, and the misuse of unmanned aerial systems. Read the full story at UN News. (Dec. 15)

Turkey Misuses Counterterrorism Legislation to Target Human Rights Defenders: UN Special Rapporteur

In September three UN special rapporteurs sent a joint letter to the Turkish government expressing concern about the detention and criminalization of 18 human rights defenders. Read the full story at Stockholm Center for Freedom. (Dec. 13)

Tapper asks Blinken Why US Hasn't Named Russia a State-sponsor of Terrorism. Hear His Response

Secretary of State Blinken indicates that the US is exploring alternatives to labeling Russia a state sponsor of terrorism (SST). Listen to the interview at CNN. (Dec. 4)

CTC Open Briefing on Follow-up on Special Meeting in India

Coordinator for the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Counterterrorism, Beth Alexion, spoke on behalf of the Coalition, of which C&SN is a member, at this UN open briefing. Her comments can be viewed at 1.50:00 and run for 6-minutes. (Dec. 2)

UN Rights Chief Reports on Intensified ‘Climate of Oppression’ in Nicaragua

UN News reports that over 1,500 NGOs have been shut down since September 2022 under the pretense of undermining or conspiring against national integrity. (Dec. 15)

The UN Is Sending War-Torn People In Ukraine Aid In Crypto - Here's Why

Human rights organizations are turning to crypto and blockchain technology to bypass challenges caused by lack of financial infrastructure or insufficient identity verification. Christina Encila reports at Bitcoinist. (Dec. 17)

Senators Warren, Marshall Proposes Crypto Anti-Money Laundering Bill

The bill will “close loopholes in the existing anti-money laundering and countering of the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and bring the digital asset ecosystem into greater compliance with the rules that govern the rest of the financial system.” Vismaya V reports at The Crypto Times. (Dec. 15)

Das: FinCEN Priorities Include Rulemaking on AML, Beneficial Ownership

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is working on proposed regulatory amendments to ensure that AML/CFT programs are effective, reasonably designed, and consider the agency’s risk assessment program. Read more at Banking Journal. (Dec. 6)

EBA Consults on New Guidelines to Tackle De-risking

The European Banking Authority (EBA) is consulting on new Guidelines for the management of money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks when providing access to financial services. The Guidelines aim to ensure that customers, especially the most vulnerable ones, are not denied access to financial services without valid reason. Read the statement at EBA. (Dec. 6)

How To Prioritize Risk During Customer Onboarding

Comply Advantage provides guidance for financial institutions on utilizing a risk-based approach for customer onboarding. (Dec. 5)

UN Experts Concerned by Systematic Use of SLAPP Cases Against Human Rights Defenders by Businesses

SLAPPs, or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, are often used to intimidate reporters, NGOs, and rights advocates with the threat of endless legal action and costs. UN News reports. (Dec. 16)

Dutch Lobby Organisation CIDI Withdraws and Rectifies False Allegations Following Legal Action by Al-Haq

Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) published three defamatory articles on its website attacking Al-Haq, which they have now removed and rectified following Al-Haq’s legal complaint. Read the announcement at Al-Haq. (Dec. 15)

Baseless False Claims Cases Could Decline with Supreme Court Intervention

An upcoming Supreme Court ruling on a False Claims Case may create a new standard of dismissal for meritless cases - a frequent tactic used by “Lawfare” groups to eat up time and resources of their targets. Kimberly Marselas writes at McKnights News. (Dec. 5)

Still, We Prioritize Funding War Over Preventing It

“We know that peacebuilding and conflict prevention reduce violent conflict and human suffering while saving taxpayer dollars. However, U.S. support for this work has been persistently underfunded.” Ursala Knudsen-Latta provides opinion at Responsible Statecraft. (Dec. 13)

DevExplains: What is the Global Fragility Act?

Teresa Welsh at DevEx provides an overview of the landmark peacebuilding law. (Dec. 7)

Milestone in the Security Council: What the New Humanitarian “Carve-out” Means for UN Sanctions Regimes

While other sanctions regimes have employed carve-outs in different ways, UNSC Resolution 2664 creates a standardized humanitarian “carve-out” across all UN sanctions regimes. Naureen Chodhury Fink and Agathe Sarfati provide analysis at IPI Global Observatory. (Dec. 16)

Row Over Food Security Delaying Next EU Sanction Package Against Russia

A bloc of EU countries are calling for exemptions on sanctions placed on Russian agricultural and food companies due to fears it will exacerbate global hunger. Alice Tidey reports at Euro News. (Dec. 15)