What Happened
- France will host the fifth edition of the 'No Money for Terror' (NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing on May 19, 2026, in Paris, as part of its 2026 G7 Presidency.
- The conference brings together ministers from across the world to coordinate efforts to combat terrorist financing networks under the broader framework of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
- The NMFT conference series was initiated by France in 2018 at the invitation of President Macron, with the explicit purpose of addressing gaps in international cooperation against terrorist financing that regular FATF plenary processes do not fully address.
- France has positioned counter-terrorism financing as one of three counter-terrorism priorities for its G7 Presidency, alongside organized crime linkages and digital channels of terror finance.
- The G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting was held at Vaux-de-Cernay, France, on March 25, 2026, where terrorism financing was among the agenda items.
Static Topic Bridges
Financial Action Task Force (FATF): Architecture and Mandate
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental standard-setting body for anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CFT), and counter-proliferation financing (CPF). It was established in 1989 by the G7 Paris Summit to address money laundering. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, its mandate was expanded in October 2001 to include terrorist financing. In 2012, countering proliferation financing was added.
- Founded: 1989, Paris, at the initiative of the G7.
- Secretariat: Hosted at the OECD headquarters in Paris (administratively; the two organisations are separate).
- Membership: 40 member countries (as of 2023); India joined in 2010.
- Key instruments: FATF 40 Recommendations — the global standard for AML/CFT.
- Monitoring lists:
- Black List (High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action): Countries requiring immediate action — as of early 2025: Iran, Myanmar, North Korea.
- Grey List (Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring): Countries with strategic deficiencies working to address them — includes Algeria, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Nepal, among others.
- India's status: Full FATF member since 2010; India hosted the third NMFT conference in November 2022 (New Delhi).
- FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs): Regional associate members that implement FATF standards in their jurisdictions, e.g., Asia-Pacific Group (APG), Eurasian Group (EAG), MENAFATF.
Connection to this news: The 'No Money for Terror' conference series functions as a ministerial-level political commitment forum that complements FATF's technical standard-setting role — the two structures reinforce each other.
'No Money for Terror' Conference Series: History and India's Role
The NMFT conference is a dedicated ministerial-level platform created to address terrorist financing specifically — as distinct from the broader AML/CFT mandate of FATF. It was conceived to bring political leadership directly into counter-terror finance discussions that are typically handled by technical experts.
- 1st conference: Paris, France, April 25–26, 2018. Convened by President Macron; over 80 countries, 50+ ministers, 500 experts. Focused on Daesh/Al-Qaeda financing.
- 2nd conference: Melbourne, Australia, 2019. Built on Paris commitments.
- 3rd conference: New Delhi, India, November 18–19, 2022. Hosted by India; inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Focused on new threats including cryptocurrency-based terrorism financing.
- 4th conference: Munich, Germany, February 13, 2025. Organised in the run-up to the Munich Security Conference; focused on digital channels, organised crime–terrorism nexus, and private sector cooperation.
- 5th conference: Paris, France, May 19, 2026. Under France's 2026 G7 Presidency.
- India's hosting of the 2022 conference reflected its position as a country significantly affected by cross-border terrorism.
- The conferences are held under FATF's aegis but are politically convened, not FATF Plenary sessions.
Connection to this news: France's decision to host the 5th conference under its G7 Presidency signals that counter-terrorism financing remains a top-tier G7 security priority, and that the NMFT forum has become an established diplomatic institution.
G7 Presidency and Counter-Terrorism Financing Architecture
The Group of Seven (G7) comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus the European Union. The G7 Presidency rotates annually. France holds the 2026 G7 Presidency (rotating from Italy's 2024 and Canada's 2025 presidency). The Presidency shapes the summit agenda and convenes ministerial-level meetings across all policy domains.
- G7 2026 Presidency: France; thematic priorities include security, economic stability, climate, and multilateral governance.
- Counter-terrorism finance in G7 context: The G7 originally founded FATF in 1989 and has consistently used its presidency year to push forward the counter-terror finance agenda.
- FATF's relationship to G7: FATF is not a G7 institution per se, but the G7 founded it and its 40 member states include all G7 nations plus India and other major economies.
- Digital terrorism financing: A priority at the Munich 2025 and Paris 2026 conferences — covers cryptocurrency, hawala, and the use of social media platforms for fundraising by terrorist organisations.
- Organised crime-terrorism nexus: FATF and NMFT conferences increasingly focus on how terrorist organisations use criminal networks (drug trafficking, human trafficking) as financing mechanisms.
- India's relevance: India is a FATF member; Pakistan was removed from the FATF Grey List in October 2022 following compliance improvements — a diplomatically sensitive outcome from India's perspective.
Connection to this news: France's use of its G7 Presidency to host the 5th NMFT conference demonstrates the enduring linkage between G7 political leadership and the FATF-anchored global counter-terrorism finance system — originally designed together in 1989.
Key Facts & Data
- Conference: 5th 'No Money for Terror' Ministerial Conference, Paris, May 19, 2026.
- Host: France (under its 2026 G7 Presidency).
- FATF founded: 1989 (Paris, G7 initiative); mandate expanded to terror financing in 2001.
- FATF secretariat: OECD headquarters, Paris.
- FATF membership: 40 countries; India joined in 2010.
- FATF Black List (2025): Iran, Myanmar, North Korea.
- NMFT history: 1st Paris (2018), 2nd Melbourne (2019), 3rd New Delhi (2022, hosted by India), 4th Munich (2025), 5th Paris (2026).
- India's 2022 role: India hosted the 3rd conference; PM Modi delivered inaugural address.
- G7 2026 Presidency: France.
- Current focus areas: Cryptocurrency/digital channels, organised crime-terrorism nexus, public-private cooperation.