Targeting terrorist activity
Money underpins terrorist activity - without it there can be no attacks, training, recruitment, assistance or welfare support for terrorist groups.

By targeting the terrorist sources and supply of money it can significantly disrupt their ability to strike – this is a key strand to the UK's overall strategy against terrorism. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office works closely with other UK Government departments, the intelligence and law enforcement agencies and the financial sector. The UK is at the forefront of international activity in this area and are in close cooperation with other governments. The UK's strategy for countering international terrorism is explained in full in the Contest report.

The main goals of the government’s strategy are to:

• decrease the amount of funds raised in the UK for terrorist purposes;
• identify and disrupt terrorist facilitators, and stop the flow of funds overseas where they impact on UK interests; and
• to encourage and assist other countries to disrupt terrorist finance.

How to cut off terrorist funds
There are several methods of disrupting terrorist fundraising such as freezing the assets of individual, terrorist groups and groups linked to them. This prevents them from raising or moving funds.

Tracing financial flows within a single country is relatively simple. But assistance is needed from other countries to trace flows abroad to their final destination or source.

Financial investigators rely on cooperation and exchange of information for successful investigations and prosecutions.

Countries are required to act against terrorist financing under UN Security Council Resolution 1373. The UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee monitors to see if countries meet their obligations under the resolution.

Who does the UK work with
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office works closely with other government departments, the intelligence and law enforcement agencies and the financial sector.

The UK is at the forefront of international activity in this area and closely cooperate with other governments.