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.

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