During a high-level meeting of the European Commission’s Ad Hoc Committee of Experts to assess anti-money-laundering measures, Msgr. Campisi, director of the General Affairs Department of the Holy See’s State Council, called for anti-money-laundering measures not to affect humanitarian aid.
(Vatican News Network)The European Commission’s Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures (Moneyval) held a high-level meeting in Warsaw on April 25. Mgr Campisi, director of the General Affairs Department of the Vatican’s State Council, called for avoiding “measures against money laundering and terrorism that limit or impede the ability of NGOs and charities to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups or individuals”. .
“The efforts to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are commendable. These crimes undoubtedly pose a growing threat to the integrity of the international financial system, endangering democratic societies and orderly coexistence in a country governed by the rule of law. Therefore, these crimes should be prevented and combated with the utmost political efforts “.
At the same time, the director of the General Affairs Department of the Vatican State Council also stated that “for the Holy See, a major sticking point is the impact of the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (Gafi) on non-profit organizations and civil society as a whole. Unfortunately, we are seeing in some cases where anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standards are inappropriately used to thwart the legitimate work of civil society and humanitarian agencies.”
Msgr. Campisi concluded by reiterating that, in any case, we must remember that, as recognized by the Financial Action Task Force, “the legitimate humanitarian aid activities of charities make a positive contribution in the prevention of terrorism”.
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