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Bi-weekly News & Opinion - August 1, 2024

Opportunities

C&SN Opportunity Spotlight

Consider registering as a C&SN Member (no financial commitment required) to receive our weekly Opportunity Spotlight Newsletter. There we share exclusive opportunities for civil society input, webinars, events, and working groups on key issue areas such as sanctions, material support, financial access, lawfare, and more.

Featured Resource

Civil Society Needs a UN General Comment on Freedom of Association

Freedom of association is essential to the collective civic action that underpins the protection of democracy and exercise of all human rights worldwide. Yet all around the world, freedom of association is under threat as governments abuse national security measures and overly burdensome regulatory frameworks to strangle civil society groups. Nikhil Dutta and Francesca Fanucci write at Just Security. (Jul. 30)

Civil Society

Paraguay: Withdraw Anti Civil Society Bill 

Amnesty International writes that a proposed law circulating in Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies includes overly broad and ambiguous wordings that could increase government control over the work of civil society organizations and result in arbitrary restrictions, including their dissolution. (Jul. 30)


How the Philippines Is Using Anti-terrorism Laws to Freeze Disaster NGOs

“They’ve been freezing funds of anyone without giving substance to their accusations,” said Felipe Levy Gelle, an NGO leader in the Philippines. “They are judicially harassing us.” Nick Aspinwall reports for The New Humanitarian. (Jul. 30)


Russia Pushes to Expand Law on ‘Undesirable' Organizations

Voice of America reports that foreign government funded organizations operating in Russia could soon be outlawed in Russia. (Jul. 25)


Human Rights Groups Urge Azerbaijan to Free Wrongfully Imprisoned Government Critics

A group of human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, signed a joint statement urging Azerbaijan to release unjustly imprisoned government critics, including human rights activists, journalists, political opposition, and NGO leaders. Read more at JURIST. (Jul. 24)

Financial Access

A Whole New World for the Financial Action Task Force?

In the June plenary, the FATF appointed a new president: Mexico’s Elisa de Anda Madrazo. The priorities for her presidency, which were recently ratified, show an understanding of the challenges facing the FATF, including financial inclusion, and how to address these challenges over the next two years. Fatima Alsancak and Kathryn Westmore write at Regulation Asia. (Jul. 29)


A Formal Risk Assessment Is Heading Your Way

Federal banking agencies proposed amending the anti-money laundering program requirements for financial institutions, which would codify certain longstanding supervisory expectations and guidance including the implementation of risk-based AML/CFT policies. Attorneys at Morrison Foerster provide analysis. (Jul. 26)


Project 2025 Will Cripple US Anti-Money Laundering Capabilities

The ultra conservative Project 2025 proposal, a political agenda drafted by Trump allies, takes aim at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and seeks to cut its budget and regulatory reach. Elizabeth Meehan writes in Inkstick. (Jul. 26)


Treasury: State Bank Laws May Interfere with Federal AML, Sanctions Requirements

State laws that require banks to provide services to certain customers may inhibit bank’s ability to comply with federally required AML/CFT and sanctions programs, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a letter to lawmakers. Read more at ABA Banking Journal. (Jul. 19)

Humanitarian Access

Under Israeli Law, UNRWA Is About to Become a Terrorist Organization

“Should it become Israeli law, the terrorist designation would give a domestic legal cover (albeit in violation of international law) for the Israeli regime to attack UNRWA’s staff and infrastructure, as it has already done by murdering close to 200 personnel, but this time without having to seek to justify itself or claim the slaughter of UNRWA’s staffers were ‘tragic mistakes’ whenever it faces criticisms from its allies.” Moncef Khane writes in Al Jazeera. (Jul. 27)


Israeli Parliament Votes to Label UN Relief Agency a Terror Organisation

The Israeli parliament gave preliminary approval to a bill that declares the main UN relief organization for Palestinians a terrorist organization and proposes to sever relations with the body. Reuters reports. (Jul. 22)

*C&SN advocates for the protection of UNRWA, considered a “lifeline” providing critical humanitarian, healthcare, and education services to millions of Palestinian refugees in the region. 


House Democrat Pushes to Place Houthis Back on Foreign Terror List

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, "I strongly encourage you to consider relisting the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization." Andrew Solender reports for Axios. (Jul. 19)

*Listing the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization would have dire implications for delivering humanitarian aid to populations in need in Yemen. C&SN has previously urged the Biden administration to resist calls to designate the Houthis for this reason, and reiterates this call today.


U.S. Isolated Over UNRWA Funding Freeze After U,K. Restores Support

The U.K. has restored funding to the beleaguered Gaza aid agency UNRWA, leaving the U.S. as the only country refusing to end a freeze imposed after Israeli claims of staff member involvement in last October’s Hamas massacre. Rob Merrick reports for Devex. (Jul. 19)

*Learn more about how you can join C&SN and our partner organizations in supporting UNRWA by endorsing the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024 (deadline is Aug. 2) and by contacting your elected officials directly, here.

Sanctions

Sanctions Watch July 2024

Read the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)’s latest edition of Sanctions Watch, which provides updates and analysis on U.S. sanctions regimes across key contexts, such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, and more. (Jul. 31)


How Four U.S. Presidents Unleashed Economic Warfare Across the Globe

“It is the only thing between diplomacy and war and as such has become the most important foreign policy tool in the U.S. arsenal,” said Bill Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “And yet, nobody in government is sure this whole strategy is even working.” Jeff Stein and Federica Cocco report for The Washington Post. (Jul. 25)


FinCEN Highlights Additional Red Flags Regarding Financing of Israeli Extremist Settler Violence Against Palestinians in the West Bank

Since Feb. 2024, U.S. Treasury and State departments have collectively designated 13 individuals and entities under U.S. financial sanctions due to their involvement in actions that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank, such as violence targeting civilians and property destruction. Read more at FinCEN. (Jul. 11)


New OFAC Guidance on Extension of Statute of Limitation for Cvil and Criminal Violations of IEEPA

On Apr. 24, 2024, President Biden signed into law the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, which extends from five years to 10 years the statute of limitations for civil and criminal violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) or the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA). Read the guidance at OFAC. (Jul. 10)


General License 13J: "Authorizing Certain Administrative Transactions Prohibited by Directive 4 under Executive Order 14024

OFAC published General License No. 13J, which relates to sanctions imposed on major Russian financial institutions. (Jul. 10)

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