US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1883

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001883 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, EUR/ERA 
TREASURY FOR ZARATE AND OFAC (NEWCOMB) 
JUSTICE FOR CRIMINAL DIVISION (SWARTZ) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, ECON, PTER, PREL, NL, EUN 
SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: DUTCH THINKING ON PROPOSED 
SEPTEMBER SEMINARS 
 
REF: A) THE HAGUE 1741 B) BRUSSELS 2975 
 
1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY AND COMMENT.  The Dutch continue to move 
forward on plans for a September 22 EU terrorist financing 
seminar in Brussels, a priority of their EU Presidency. 
However, they are also eager to hear USG thoughts on ideas 
for a proposed September 23 U.S.-EU meeting/seminar on 
terrorist financing within the overall concept of ensuring a 
regular transatlantic dialogue on this issue.  While plans 
for a related EU-GCC seminar have been postponed, the Dutch 
remain committed to finding an acceptable venue and time 
before the end of their Presidency.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
 
SEPTEMBER 22 EU TF SEMINAR 
-------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU)  During a July 23 meeting with Econoff, Wouter 
Jurgens, Senior Policy Advisor in the MFA's Political Affairs 
Department, outlined GONL thinking thus far on a possible 
agenda and topics for the Dutch-proposed September 22 
terrorist financing seminar in Brussels, reported refs A and 
B.  Jurgens participated in meetings on terrorist financing 
during EB A/S Wayne's July 7 visit to The Hague (ref A). 
Although planning was still at an early stage, Jurgens said, 
the MFA envisioned a seminar focusing on practical, legal and 
institutional challenges in the fight against terrorist 
financing, while also taking stock of accomplishments in the 
three years following 9/11 and the adoption of UNSCR 1373. 
The seminar "Three Years after 9/11: A Scorecard" would 
examine cooperation among international organizations 
(including the UN and EU), EU member states, and institutions 
within member states.  The seminar would seek to identify 
ways to improve existing asset freezing regimes, to increase 
cooperation among international actors, and to improve 
implementation.  Best practices developed and/or identified 
during the seminar would be shared with relevant EU bodies 
and used in discussions with international organizations to 
make the fight against terrorist financing more effective and 
efficient. 
 
3.  (SBU)  The seminar, as Jurgens explained, would include a 
morning plenary session with keynote speakers introducing 
different aspects of the issue, followed by three afternoon 
workshops on specific topics.  The MFA is considering the 
following agenda: 
 
Morning Session (plenary) 
 
-- Introduction by Gijs de Vries, EU Counter-Terrorism 
Coordinator. 
 
-- Ambassador Javier Ruperez, Head of the UN's 
Counter-Terrorism Committee's (CTC) Executive Directorate. 
Possible topics:  current and future role of asset freezing 
as a tool in the fight against terrorist financing; 
reinforcement of the UN's role in the freezing of non-al 
Qaida terrorists; and preventive freezing of assets of 
non-state actors, including the required burden of proof 
issue. 
 
-- Susan Eckert, Senior Research Fellow, Watson Institute, 
Brown University (former Commerce A/S). 
Possible topics:  a comparative approach and lessons learned 
from relevant UN mechanisms and instruments as well as 
cooperation between the UN and other international 
institutions. 
 
-- Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, Committee for European 
Securities Regulators (CESR) Chairman and Director of the 
Netherlands Financial Markets Regulatory Body (former head of 
the Netherlands Intelligence and Security Service, former 
Prosecutor General in the Netherlands Justice Ministry). 
Possible topics:  linkages between Justice departments, 
public prosecutors' offices, intelligence services, and 
financial regulators in the fight against terrorism as well 
as possible synergies and existing problems. 
 
-- Francois Fort, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 
Chairman. 
Possible topics:  role of FATF in the fight against 
terrorism; lessons learned; and the way forward. 
 
 
Afternoon session (workshops) 
-- National implementation, including best practices of 
cooperation between law enforcement agencies, the financial 
sector, and intelligence services. 
 
-- Development of legal frameworks in combating terrorist 
financing. 
 
-- Informal remittance systems (Hawalas, etc.) 
 
4.  (SBU)  On participation, Jurgens said the MFA hoped to 
attract enough high-level participants to give the seminar 
some clout, while also including working level experts to 
ensure that ideas emerging from the seminar are translated 
into concrete and practical steps.  The MFA is following up 
with De Vries, who reportedly is very interested in 
participating as a keynote speaker.  The other proposed 
speakers are intended to give the seminar a EU focus in order 
to win over less supportive member states (i.e., France and 
Germany.)   Other participants would include policy makers 
and financial and legal experts from EU member states and EU 
institutions (EU Council Secretariat and the EU Commission), 
relevant partner countries (U.S., Switzerland, Liechtenstein, 
Norway, Canada), UN bodies (CTC, CTAD, TPB, UNSCR 1267 
Monitoring Group), and other appropriate international 
organizations.  A maximum of 200 participants is envisaged. 
 
September 23 U.S.-EU TF SEMINAR 
------------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU)  Jurgens said the MFA was very receptive to A/S 
Wayne's proposal for a U.S.-EU terrorist financing 
meeting/seminar on the margins of the EU seminar in September 
(ref A).  The MFA, in close coordination with the Finance 
Ministry, would take the lead on the Dutch side in organizing 
such a meeting.  Jurgens suggested that a format reflecting 
the EU seminar the day before might be most effective, with 
keynote speakers in the morning and workshops in the 
afternoon.  He thought a troika format (Netherlands, 
Commission, Luxembourg) would work best, with experts and 
representatives at the Director General level from the three 
EU pillars participating in the workshops.  The agenda could 
track with terrorist financing elements in the U.S.-EU 
Declaration on Combating Terrorism.  The seminar's main 
objective should be to share best practices and set concrete 
goals for possible follow up at the December U.S.-EU 
Ministerial.  He agreed that such a meeting could set a 
precedent for regular exchanges between U.S. and EU 
participants on fighting terrorist financing.  Jurgens said 
the MFA was eager to hear back from the USG on our thoughts 
for the proposed September meeting/seminar. 
 
 
EU-GCC TF SEMINAR POSTPONED 
--------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU)  When asked, Jurgens noted that a planned EU-GCC 
seminar (a proposed three-year review of asset freezing 
efforts) had been postponed indefinitely.  While there was 
still support for the proposed agenda (Hawalas, cash 
couriers, and charities), Jurgens said that some GCC members 
had objected to the idea of coming to Brussels to "be 
lectured" on terrorist financing issues.  The MFA was now 
working with the GCC Secretariat to explore other options, 
including the hosting of such a seminar in a GCC country. 
The GONL remained committed, he added, to holding such a 
seminar during the Dutch EU Presidency. 
RUSSEL