Bi-weekly News and Opinion Roundup - January 19, 2023

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.  

One Year In: Details and Impact of Financial and Trade Sanctions Against Russia

Legal experts at Morrison Foerster will discuss how governments around the world continue to coordinate and respond with increasingly severe sanctions and export controls against Russia. Register for the February 14 webinar at Morrison Foerster. 

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.

Secondary Liability Under the Anti-Terrorism Act: Implications for INGOs

InterAction’s fact sheet is designed to help NGOs understand, anticipate, and navigate potential pitfalls of the Anti-Terrorism Act for organizations working in contexts where terrorist entities are active. (Jan. 13)

Under Surveillance: (Mis)use of Technologies in Emergency Responses

Following the onset of COVID-19, more than half the world’s countries enacted emergency measures, rapidly scaling up governments’ use of technologies for widespread surveillance. Read how heightened surveillance impacts civil society in ECNL’s report. (Dec. 12)

Give Banks Names of Far-Right Extremists, Urges Think Tank

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a London-based think tank, argues that existing counterterrorism finance laws were designed to tackle groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State and are ill-suited to combating the danger from far-right extremists. Martin Bentham reports at Yahoo News. (Jan. 16)

Afghan Taliban Asks for More UN Aid Money Despite Women Education Ban

The Taliban argue that the UN "should understand the religious demands of our nation and not link humanitarian issues/aid to politics." Sophia Ankel reports at Business Insider. (Jan. 16)

INGOs, the Supreme Court, and the Anti-Terrorism Act

An upcoming Supreme Court case involving Twitter, brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), will examine the 9th Circuit Court’s broad interpretation of secondary liability under the ATA, which could have implications for INGOs. Andrea Hall writes at InterAction. (Jan. 13)

New Study Reveals Rampant Conflicts of Interest at Think Tanks

Highlighted are potential legal risks posed to think tanks that receive funding from foreign governments under broadening interpretations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Ben Freeman reports at Responsible Statecraft. (Jan. 11)

The Weaponization of Humanitarian Aid: How to Stop China and Russia From Manipulating Relief Money

Natasha Hall and Hardin Lang assess strategies to stop humanitarian aid being withheld from crisis zones by governments wishing to exert political power. Read more at Foreign Affairs. (Jan. 9)

Treasury Officials Warn Banks Over Sanctions Compliance Overkill

Top US Treasury Department officials plan to address banks that are increasingly de-risking customers due to fears of breaching sanctions - many of whom may need financial services the most. Daniel Flatley reports at Bloomberg News. (Jan. 6)

This Year in AML: Up, Up and Away to 2023

AML RightSource highlights the problem of de-risking legitimate nonprofits working in conflict zones as a core issue, and cites C&SN’s supported UN humanitarian carve out as a breakthrough in protecting the work of humanitarian organizations. John Byrne writes at AML RightSource. (Jan. 3)

ICRC Engagement with Armed Groups in 2022

Mathew Bamber-Zryd highlights the importance of reaching populations in need living in territories under control of terrorist entities, as well as the challenges counterterrorism measures pose on implementing effective humanitarian programs. Read more at the ICRC (Jan. 12)

Palestinian Rights Group Confronts Challenge Equating Human Rights Advocacy to ‘Terrorism’

Following the 2021 dismissal of a case in which the Jewish National Fund (JNF) falsely accused the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) of terrorist links, the JNF is now appealing the court decision. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), who is representing the USCPR, issued a press statement calling for the D.C. Court of Appeals to uphold the 2021 dismissal. Read the full story at WAFA News. (Jan. 13)

The Growing Global Backlash Against US Sanctions

Agathe Demarais, the global forecasting director of the Economist Intelligence Unit, discusses her new book where she argues that over-reliance on sanctions as a US foreign policy tool actually weakens the intended impacts of sanctions regimes. Listen to the latest episode of the Global Dispatches podcast. (Jan. 15)

Reflections on Restructurings: Impacts and Experiences of Unprecedented Sanctions Regimes

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP provides a comprehensive overview of sanctions regimes placed on Russia on Lexology. (Jan. 10)