Monegasque Red Cross compliant with Moneyval requirements
Frédéric Platini, Secretary General of the Monegasque Red Cross, during the organisation's annual conference on Wednesday. © Communication Department
At the annual conference of the Monegasque Red Cross (MRC), its Secretary General spoke of the difficulties faced by charities given the fight against money laundering and the funding of terrorism.
“Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are often targeted, because we are seen as an entry point for money laundering,” said Frédéric Platini. Moneyval is monitoring the Principality’s efforts to apply strict regulations “concerning investigation and prosecution of money laundering” (Moneyval Report 2023). However, speaking on behalf of Monaco’s different humanitarian organisations, the MRC’s Secretary General told attendees that the problem is widespread beyond the Principality’s borders, that charities are currently experiencing difficulties in receiving donations, and in carrying out their activities in certain countries around the world.
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“Today, for any donations of over €200, the donor must also provide their ID,” he said, adding, “some clearly refuse. People who want to donate anonymously and not provide their place of residence. The Monegasque Red Cross is a big organisation compared to other charities, but I know that the others are suffering.”
“We put these procedures in place, but that costs money”
In 2023, the MRC carried out actions in Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan, which are all blacklisted countries. As such, financial payments from Monegasque banks to these countries are blocked. “In terms of transparency, we are ahead of the game, with all the procedures in place. However, if there is an earthquake in Syria, we need to be able to send funds to the Syrian Red Cross to help beneficiaries on the ground,” explains the Secretary General, while acknowledging that the organisation is usually able to transfer the funds, since the Red Cross movement is recognised worldwide. But this is not the case for every organisation. “I was talking to Mission Enfance recently, and they operate in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s complicated for them,” said the Secretary General of the MRC, speaking of the Franco-Monegasque charity, which assists children from all over the world.
“Yes to transparency, no to funding terrorism, that’s very clear. No to money laundering, that’s very clear too, but we have to give NGOs the means of helping people in the countries where they operate,” Frédéric Platini continued. “Making a distinction between the financial circuit and the beneficiary is beginning to pose major problems for these organisations.”
Alongside him, Claude Fabbretti, Operational Director of Relief and International Actions at the MRC, also talked about the “colossal” administrative burden of running humanitarian operations in the countries that were mentioned. “At the Red Cross, we’re lucky to be structured and to have the staff, but that’s not always the case for smaller organisations.” He cited the example of Syria, where the victims of the recent earthquakes required the MRC’s help. “We are duty-bound. We put these procedures in place, but that costs money, and it costs even more money when we go into countries where security and the political regime are complicated,” he said.
At present, the MRC ensures that it keeps detailed records, whether it is regarding its beneficiaries in Burkina Faso or the identity of its donors during the donation campaigns it organises on a regular basis. However the concern felt by those in charge of the Monegasque branch of the worldwide movement raises questions about future funding for international humanitarian actions.