Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Counter-Terrorism Centre (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCCT) within the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT) and the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) held a Training Course on ¡°Strengthening International Cooperation Measures to Counter Terrorism Financing¡± for 30 officials from across public sector, academia and civil society, in Moroni from 13 to 17 April 2026.
The course was organized within the framework of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCCT Global Programme on Detecting, Preventing and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT Programme) and marked the first activity of the joint Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCCT-IMCTC Strategic Initiative entitled ¡°Legal Training Program on Counter Terrorism.¡±
The course provided practical, expert led sessions on global and regional terrorism financing (TF) risks and international CFT standards. It gathered investigators, prosecutors, investigating judges, customs officers, coast guard officials, financial intelligence unit analysts, intelligence officers, and lawyers together with representatives from the Central Bank, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, academia, and civil society.
The High-Level Opening Ceremony was hosted at the Parliamentary Building of Comoros, and included opening statements by the Director of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCCT, Mr. Mauro Miedico, the Secretary-General of IMCTC, Major General Mohammed Al-Moghedi, and the Director of the Office of the President of the Union of the Comoros and the Acting Minister of Defence, His Excellency Mr. Youssoufa Mohamed Ali.
The training curriculum was tailored to Comoros, focusing on aligning national practices with international standards. The sessions covered the implementation of the Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) alongside relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and Conventions.
Through scenario-based exercises and system-mapping, participants identified national gaps and formulated actionable recommendations to reinforce institutional capacities.
The agenda included understanding emerging risk typologies, the lifecycle of a financial investigation, and the transition of intelligence into admissible judicial evidence.
The course addressed other challenges such as the misuse of virtual assets and the protection of the non-profit sector against terrorist financing, ensuring mitigation measures remain in line with human rights.
The training highlighted practical tools to implement domestic asset freezing mechanisms, mutual legal assistance, and joint investigations.
By covering the entire criminal justice chain - from prosecution challenges to the successful recovery of assets, the program sought to enhance the operational capacity of Comorian practitioners to combat terrorism financing comprehensively.
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¡°The training was very valuable for me, as I received further information and guidance on how civil society can be protected and supported, in line with international standards. There is a need for more research and support to civil society in Comoros, and I am happy to note that IMCCT and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCCT are here to support us.¡±
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¡°There is a need for trainings on countering the financing of terrorism here in the Union of the Comoros, with a particular note on virtual assets. We appreciate IMCCT and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCCT for organizing their training in Moroni, and hope for additional capacity-building, especially to support investigations and regulation that involve virtual assets.¡±