On 2 July 2024, the Council of Europe conducted an awareness-raising workshop in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on protecting non-profit organizations (NPOs) from terrorist financing abuse. This event was part of the Action against Corruption, Money Laundering, and Terrorist Financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, aimed at enhancing the understanding of vulnerabilities within the NPO sector and promoting best practices to mitigate such risks. Sixteen representatives of different NPOs engaged in discussions with Council of Europe’s subject-matter experts on various topics related to terrorist financing risks and the implementation of effective risk management measures.

The first session of the workshop explored why NPOs can be attractive targets for terrorist financing (TF), highlighting current trends, and noting internationally recognized TF risks and methods of misuse. Subsequent sessions delved into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards for NPOs, highlighting common characteristics and risks associated with these organizations and included discussions on effective measures and approaches NPOs can adopt, including internal governance, government oversight, and risk-based approaches to mitigate potential TF threats.

The workshop emphasized the importance of a risk-based approach in safeguarding NPOs from terrorist financing abuse. This event marked the beginning of a series of similar initiatives planned throughout the Action, reinforcing the commitment of the Council of Europe to enhance the resilience of the NPO sector against TF risks. 

This workshop is a part of the Council of Europe's initiative focused on combating corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, funded under the European Union/Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye III and by a voluntary contribution of the Council of Europe.