Yesterday in Beirut, only two days after he took office as the Special Representative for Counterterrorism at Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jens Madsen conducted talks with Lebanese senior officials
They agreed on joint efforts to strengthen the Global Coalition’s efforts to counter Daesh-financing including targeting illicit cross-border movements of cash and protecting the international financial system from misuse for terrorist financing purposes.
Jens Madsen, Special Representative for Counterterrorism states:
“It is of key importance to supplement the military campaign against Daesh, to which Denmark contributes very significantly, with civilian efforts. We must work together across regions and continents to deny its access to funding in order to ensure an effective, broad ranging and sustainable response to the threat from Daesh. Financially sustaining a terrorist organization requires significant resources and the more we can do to step up our efforts to deny Daesh’ access to funding, the more effectively we can limit their ability to control territory and launch attacks both in the region and beyond. My discussions yesterday with Lebanese counterparts confirmed that there is great opportunity and scope for joint cooperation. As an example we agreed to work together to promote international cooperation on cross-border illicit financial flows and to ensure that the international financial system is not misused for terrorist financing purposes.”
Kristian Jensen, Minister for Foreign Affairs states:
“When it comes to fighting Daesh utilising both military and civilian means, Denmark is at the fore front. The brutal ideology of Daesh cannot be defeated with military tools alone, and I am very satisfied that Denmark, with the assistance of Special Representative Madsen, and together with frontline states of the region are now intensifying efforts to counter Daesh-financing.”
Jens Madsen, the newly appointed Special Representative for Counterterrorism at Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday visited Lebanon for talks on how to strengthen cooperation on countering Daesh-financing. Special Representative Madsen met with senior Lebanese officials from the Central Bank (Banque du Liban), the Lebanese Financial Intelligence Unit (Special Investigation Committee) and advisors to the Lebanese Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for the Interior. While in Beirut, Special Representative Madsen also discussed coordination of Danish support to civilian counterterrorism efforts in the region with the Head of the European Union’s Delegation to Lebanon, Ambassador Christina Lassen and representatives of the US Embassy.
Mr. Jens Madsen took office as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark’s Special Representative for Counterterrorism on 15 March 2016. He previously served as Director General of the Danish Security & Intelligence Service and before that as Denmark’s State Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crimes. Special Representative Madsen will be leading on Denmark’s support to the efforts of the Global Coalition against Daesh to counter Daesh-financing. The Danish government has recently launched a new civilian focused programme for countering terrorism and violent extremism in the Middle East and North Africa. Drawing on expertise from the Danish Financial Intelligence Unit, part of the programme will focus on developing partnership with Daesh frontline states, including Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, to counter financing of Daesh and other violent extremist groups in the region.
Further information:
Department for Stabilisation & Security Policy, telephone +45 33921147.
