Legislating against the financing of terrorism: pitfalls and prospects

Defines terrorism and the problems of agreeing on a definition, citing the Finance of Terrorism Convention, which essentially equates terrorism with politically motivated violence. Extends the emphasis on semantics to describing what it means to “finance” terrorism, again citing the Finance of Terrorism Convention ‐ and domestic legislation in the Canada, the UK and the USA, which is broader in scope than the Convention. Outlines the advantages and problems of proscribing financing of terrorism rather the terrorist activities. Assesses the prospects for international cooperation against terrorist financing, noting that the scope for this is limited to countries which regard the same acts as criminal and place the same importance on preventing them.