New action plan to manage the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing in the nonprofit sector

Voittoa tavoittelemattomien yhteisöjen ja säätiöiden (NPO-sektori) rahanpesun ja terrorismin rahoittamisen riskiarvion toimintasuunnitelmassa määritellään toimenpiteet, joilla vahvistetaan NPO-sektorin riskienhallintaa sekä viranomaisten riskiperusteista yhteistyötä.

The action plan for risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing for the nonprofit organisations and foundations (NPO sector) determines the measures that strengthen risk management and risk-based cooperation with the authorities in the NPO sector.

According to the 2024 national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing in the NPO sector, organisations and foundations are not a high-risk sector in Finland. The risks identified in the risk assessment primarily target certain operating environments, operating models and sub-sectors. Now, the Ministry of the Interior is publishing the 2026–2029 action plan for the risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing in the nonprofit sector.

New plan targets measures against identified risks

The foundation of the action plan is a risk-based and proportionate approach. Its goal is not to increase the general obligations of the NPO sector or create a new overall supervision system, but to provide targeted measures for situations and operating models with identified risks.

The action plan’s key objectives are to bolster awareness in the NPO sector and among public authorities, develop a risk-based approach in the activities of the public authorities, enhance national and international cooperation, and ensure the transparency of the NPO sector’s operations and sources of funding. 

These measures include targeted training for NPO operators and authorities, the development of inter-authority practices and processes of information exchange, improving the updatedness and availability of register data, and strengthening advisory and information services for money collection activities. 

Furthermore, the action plan focuses on cooperation with international authorities and on ways for national public authorities to use information produced in international structures.

Close monitoring of measures

The action plan was prepared by the sub-working group on NPOs of the national cooperation group for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. Public authorities, supervisory authorities specified in the Act on Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, and authorities with a general duty to exercise care also took part in the preparations.

The implementation of the action plan is monitored as part of the national inter-authority cooperation structure for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. The sub-working group on NPOs will monitor the progress of the measures and issue a biannual report. 

Enquiries: 
Senior Specialist Petri Siitonen, tel. 0295 488 420, Ministry of the Interior

The email addresses of the Ministry of the Interior are in the format [email protected].