Human Rights NGOs and the Banking Sector

A one-day, two-part seminar looking at changing banking regulations and banking behaviour affecting NGOs addressing human rights issues. 

Wednesday 6 July 09:30 - 17:00 in two sessions:

• Part 1: Morning Session: Taking stock of Co-operative Bank closures of human rights NGOs and developing a plan of action to hold the Bank to its ethical policies
• Part 2: Afternoon session: Looking at wider regulatory issues influencing the Bank’s decisions, including FATF, US regulations with extra-territorial reach, UK Treasury regulations etc.

Amnesty Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard London EC2A 3EA

Map below

For each session a panel of affected organisations/specialists will share their experiences and then discuss common themes and answer questions.

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9.30 Registration and coffee

9.45 Welcome and introduction – Peter Frankental from Amnesty International UK and Rob Harrison from Save Our Bank (SOB)

Taking stock of Co-operative Bank closures of human rights NGOs and developing a plan of action to hold the Bank to its ethical policies

10.00 – 11.00 The problem with the Co-operative Bank and its impacts

Panel:

• Tricia Rich Deputy Director (Interim), Palestine Solidarity Campaign
• Ravi Naik Solicitor, Head of Public Law, Irvine Thanvi Natas Solicitors
• Helen Yuill, Events Co-ordinator, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign

11.00- 11.15 Break

11.15 to 12.00 Problems for NGOs at other banks and outside the UK

Panel including:

• Lia van Broekhoven, Executive Director, Human Security Collective (HSC)

12.15 - 1.00pm Potential solutions - from identifying best practice to petitions and campaigns

Panel Including:

• Sophie Sharp-Fryer: NUS Ethical Supply Chain Coordinator
• Tony O’Rourke, London Institute of Finance and Banking, Associate of Co-operatives UK.

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1.00pm to 2.00pm Lunch

Looking at wider regulatory issues influencing the Bank’s decisions, including FATF, US regulations with extra-territorial reach, UK Treasury regulations etc.

Chair:  James Savage, Fund for Global Human Rights

2.00- 3.00  Understanding how US and UK regulations contribute to NGO/CSO account closures

Panel:

• Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Royal United Services Institute
• Ben Hayes, Consultant specialising in international and national security policies

3.00-3.15 Break

3.15 – 4.15   Understanding the impact of FATF on Banks’ de-risking NGO/CSO accounts

Panel: 

• Katerina Hadzi-Miceva Evans, Executive Director, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law
• Lia van Broekhoven, Executive Director, Human Security Collective

4.15 - 5.00   Final Reflections and discussion of next steps

• What might a lobbying strategy to influence regulations look like? 
• Would it be desirable to initiate a project, possibly in conjunction with a law firm and/or bank, to develop good practice guidelines for banks that will reflect the human rights impacts of account closures, that will be transparent, and ensure that NGOs/CSOs are treated fairly?
• A five-point communiqué?

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Background material

Here is some advance reading material that might be of interest:

• Tom Keatinge’s paper ‘Uncharitable Behaviour’
• A study on ‘Drivers & Impacts of Derisking’ published by the Financial Conduct Authority
• Overheads presented at a recent seminar by the Barclays Bank derisking team on ‘Sanctions Challenges in the Global Development Sector'

 

Location