DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON CHARITIES AND MENA/FATF

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000889 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT FOR GNOVIS, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN KU KTFN SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON CHARITIES AND MENA/FATF PLENARY IN CAIRO REF: STATE 37310 Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) On March 15, Econoff delivered reftel points to Naser Al-Ammar, Director of Charitable Organizations at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (GOK lead on charity oversight) and one of the principal authors of the MENA/FATF paper on "Best Practices Concerning Charities." Al-Ammar pointed out that he personally authored the initial draft of the paper (in Arabic),in collaboration with counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE. The completed draft was submitted to the September 2005 MENA/FATF plenary in Beirut and subsequently reviewed and adopted by the plenary committee. ¶2. (SBU) Al-Ammar underscored the GOK's commitment to the paper, pointing out that most of the recommendations were based on existing GOK policies and procedures, some dating back to 1962. He added that Kuwait was one of a handful of MENA/FATF countries that had fully implemented the recommendations of the paper. He explained that the GOK's Law No. 24 from 1962 outlined the legal parameters cited in Section 1 of the paper (Legal Aspects) for government supervision and oversight of charitable organizations. The creation of his office was prompted by a Council of Ministers (cabinet) decision in the aftermath of September 11 in an effort to reinforce government oversight and control of charities, he added. ¶3. (SBU) He pointed out that the MFA, in coordination with GOK embassies abroad, supervises charities efforts abroad and that the Central Bank of Kuwait maintains financial oversight of transactions abroad. Al-Ammar said that he also conducts inspections of charities offices abroad in an effort to ensure compliance and that only five local charities are authorized to transfer funds abroad, with an additional four licensed for domestic work in Kuwait. ¶4. (SBU) Al-Ammar offered to share the forthcoming English translation of a training manual on charity oversight that he is preparing for his 25-member staff. He welcomed continued coordination and cooperation with the USG to further enhance the efforts of his office and offered to back-brief Econoff following the upcoming MENA/FATF plenary in Egypt. According to Al-Ammar, the GOK will be represented at the upcoming plenary by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Social Affairs and Labor, Interior, and Commerce, the Central Bank, Kuwait Customs, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Union of Kuwaiti Banks. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON