Kuala Lumpur was the venue for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Counter Terrorism Financing Workshop, held from 11-13 April 2007. The Workshop, which was organised by AUSTRAC (the Austalian Transaction Report and Analysis Centre), focussed particularly on NPOs and Alternative Remittence Systems. Delegates from over twenty countries across the Pacific region heard presentations from experts from the Charity Commission, FATF, World Bank, Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering, Islamic Relief and others. A second workshop is planned for July 17th - 19th. AUSTRAC is producing a DVD including contributions from all the speakers and many delegates - we hope to bring you details of how to obtain a copy of the DVD in a future Quarterly Update
The Eastern and Southern African Anti Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) is looking to include a programme of work on non-profit organisations in their overall work plan for the next financial year (2008-09). The programme of work is intended to support the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force - FATF - Special Recommendation VIII (minimising the risk of terrorist financing misuse of non-profit organisations) in the region. Activities might include regional and national training/technical assistance events; a typologies project; the establishment of regional mechanisms for information exchange; etc. The ESAAMLG Task Force welcomed the programme proposal when they met in Arusha from 26-30 March 2007. It is now to be presented for formal agreement at the next meeting of the ESAAMLG Council of Ministers (August 2007).
Representatives from 5 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Zimbabwe) took part in a teleconference on 14 March 2007 on NGO regulation. Participants discussed issues and challenges regarding NGO regulation in the region and developments and current debates in their own countries. The value of sharing information and ideas was acknowledged by all. If you are interested to participate in future regional discussions, please email us.
The East African Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (EA ACCA) is working with ActionAid Kenya on a project, launched on 20 March 2007, called Skills2Share. The project fits in with a wider research programme examining the contribution which EA ACCA members can make to improve the accountability and financial capability of NGOs and to analyse what the needs are within the sector. Working with NGOs and CBOs affiliated to ActionAid Kenya – the Skills2Share project is educating NGOs on basic book keeping, cash flow management, budgeting, conduct basic internal auditing, pricing of products, cash flow projections, managing risk and broader issues – such as marketing. The EA ACCA is looking to roll out the project to other countries in the near future.
The Charity Commission's International Programme is designing an Assessment Tool to help countries look at their not-for-profit sectors and highlight potential risk areas to the sector. It's intended to help countries meet their obligations under FATF SRVIII and protect the interests of both the sector and wider society. It will work by asking a series of questions about the country, its sector and its regulatory systems and use that information to highlight particular weak spots and make recommendations on potential areas to develop. We hope it will be a useful planning device to help the increasing number of countries reviewing their NPO regulation and sectors. The prototype is still currently being developed and will initially be piloted in the Philippines in the Autumn but in the meantime look out on www.NGOregnet.org for further information on its development.
"Accountability: delivering results" is the central focus theme for this year's CIVICUS Global Assembly, taking place in Glasgow (Scotland) from 23-27 May 2007. Three workshops during the event will will address the issue of regulation as it relates to the accountability of civil society organisations (CSOs). One session will examine key transnational issues in CSO regulation and accountability and explore recommendations for nationally addressing such issues. Another will discuss the politics of CSO regulation, exploring the risks and challenges of government regulation of CSOs as an approach to CSO accountability; the limitations of CSOs' own accountability initiatives in diasbling political environments; and the politics behind different accountability challenges to CSOs and appropriate responses in different political contexts. The last session will look in depth at the effectiveness of formal CSO regulation for promoting CSO accountability, reflecting on experience in sub Saharan Africa and in particular South Africa. The event should generate some very interesting discussions.
Even if you are not attending the event, do have a look at the CIVICUS Global Assembly website and contribute ideas and comments to the online discussion forum.
A UK Government "Review of Safeguards to Protect the Charitable Sector [in England and Wales] from Terrorist Abuse" was published on 10 May 2007. The Charity Commission - the independent regulator for charities in England and Wales - was consulted on the development of the review, along with a number of other departments, public bodies and charity sector organisations. The Charity Commission issued a press release on the publication of the review. You may also be interested to read a report by an Advisory Group made up of leading UK charities and led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) on the impact of counter-terrorism measures on civil society organisations, published back in January 2007 to influence the Government review and a press release issued by NCVO on the publication of the report.
Recognising that risks should not be viewed in isolation from opportunities, the UK Government is also currently undertaking a review of the future role of the "third sector" in social and economic regeneration. This review takes a long-term view of what is needed for the sector to thrive over the next ten years. An interim report of the review was published in December 2006. This report, and NCVO's response to it are available online.
Finally, the "Commission for the Compact" - an independent organisation, set up recently to oversee the relationship between government and the voluntary and community sector in England - launched its first programme of work in April 2007 to ensure effective implementation of a "Compact" made back in 1998 between government and the sector to improve their relationship for mutual advantage and community gain. Read more about the work of the Commission and the acheivements and challenges regarding the "Compact".
There are a number of interesting articles on civil society in the Middle East in the latest issue of the International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law - Volume 9, Issue 2, April 2007. Two articles offer perspectives on civil society in the region as a whole, two others examine the situation in particular countries: Algeria and Egypt. You can view the articles online.
Staff Changes at Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
Many readers will be aware of the APG's work in promoting the development of NGO regulation in the Asia Pacific region. News now reaches us that Bronwyn Somerville, who was at the forefront of much of that work, has been appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Egmont Group Secretariat and will leave the APG at the end of June 07. She has been a great asset to the work of the APG and its partners - I'm sure all those who have worked with her will be sad to see her go, but wish her all the best in her new post.
Meanwhile, the APG also recently announced the appointment of Lindsay Chan as Executive Officer. Lindsay will have responsibility for NPO/NGO issues for the APG. He is already involved in the development of an NPO Sector Assessment Tool (see below), and we very much look forward to working closely with him in the future.
What's new on www.NGOregnet.org?
A large influence on NGO regulation in recent years has been the international concern that NGOs can be misused for terrorist financing purposes. Despite this attention, there is growing international understanding of the important role which a healthy NGO sector has in any comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy, helping to address conditions conducive to exploitation by terrorism. Fully understanding the value of the NGO sector for counter-terrorism as well as wide development objectives is important if countries are to achieve the right balance in regulation. More information on this important issue.
Interested to learn more about how the NGO/charity sector is regulated in other countries? Information on countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe is available on www.NGOregnet.org. The Charity Commission's International Programme is looking to collate brief summaries of legal and regulatory systems and contact details for regulators in a wide range of countries for the website. If you can provide information on the system in your country for the website, please have a go at completing the template on the website.
This e-newsletter and associated website www.NGOregnet.org are produced by the Charity Commission's International Programme. The Programme is supporting the development of a healthy, accountable and independent NGO sector worldwide by facilitating the exchange of good ideas for NGO regulation nationally, regionally and internationally.