The Financial Sector Joins the Congress on Public-Private Collaboration in the Fight Against Terrorism Financing and Radicalism by the National Police

The event included presentations from various experts from the Police, the public sector, and private entities, all prominent actors in the prevention and fight against terrorism financing and radicalism.

The event, attended by more than 200 guests, was organized by the General Information Commissioner as part of its commitment to investigating and neutralizing serious threats to National Security.

The National Police organized the first national congress on “Public-Private Collaboration in the Fight Against Terrorism Financing and Radicalism” at the CECA auditorium in Madrid. This gathering brought together numerous specialists in the areas of prevention, detection, and combat against terrorist financing. The day, organized by the General Information Commissioner, collaborated with the Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses (SEPBLAC) and the Public Treasury, and was supported by AEB, ASNEF, CECA, Mastercard, and Sayari.

Strengthening Public-Private Links

In this context, various national working groups have promoted the celebration of this first congress to establish and strengthen links with obligated subjects in the prevention and detection of terrorism financing and radicalism. During the day, topics were addressed such as the current situation of terrorism, radicalism and its financing, actors involved in terrorism financing, cryptocurrencies as a means of financing, and public-private collaboration.

The expert speakers participating in this meeting represent various organizations and entities from both the public and private sectors, which play an essential role in this fight against terrorism. The event was attended by representatives from the following national and international organizations: Audiencia Nacional, Banco de España, CNMV, CRAB, CITCO, EUROPOL, INTERPOL, and OCP-Notariado.

The General Commissioner of Information of the National Police, Eugenio Pereiro Blanco, inaugurated the day along with Pedro Comín Rodríguez, director of SEPBLAC, Lourdes Jiménez Ramos, deputy director of the Public Treasury, and Chief Commissioner Marcial Píriz de Vargas Machuca. All emphasized the importance of collaboration among various entities, which is fundamental for preventing the discussed issue, stating, “If there is one word that should resonate from this day, it is collaboration.”

The first panel, moderated by Raquel Cabeza Pérez, Corporate Director of Risks and Compliance at CECA, included: Marta Laguno Álvarez, Chief Inspector of the National Police, Felipe Vergara del Toro, National Police Analyst, and Jorge Vallet Fernández, Professor at the University of Alcalá, focused on combating terrorism financing. It was made clear that financial entities are fully committed to fighting terrorism financing, and for this purpose, public-private collaboration and knowledge of the trends observed by the authorities are vital to ensure effective prevention measures.

Subsequently, Juan José Matías González, Head of Fraud Prevention and Money Laundering at ASNEF, moderated the panel on terrorism financing at SEPBLAC, the agency to which all panelists belonged: Juan Carlos Calleja, Division Head, Eduardo Bañares, Unit Head, and Antonio Sevilla, Analyst. The main conclusion of this debate was that, in all areas of prevention, whether fraud, money laundering, or terrorism financing, sharing information is essential, hence the importance of public-private collaboration.

Finally, the Legal Advisor of AEB, María Peco González, moderated the dialogue in the “Institutional and Private Sector Collaboration Panel in the Fight Against Terrorism Financing,” consisting of: Antonio Rubén Sánchez del Castillo, Deputy Director of Counter-Terrorism Operations at INTERPOL, Luis Manuel López-Crego Gómez, National Police Liaison Officer (EUROPOL), Alberto López González, Vice President of Mastercard, and Claudio di Gregorio, Enterprise Account Executive at SAYARI.

The main topic highlighted in this conversation was the importance of public-private collaboration between institutions and the private sector in the fight against terrorism financing. Additionally, challenges and examples/cases of success that support a common fight between both sectors were discussed.