Soft Launch and Deployment of goFintel Software

The activities of criminal and terrorist organizations have devastating global impacts. Cutting off their access to funding and financial services is therefore a critical component of the international response to dismantle these groups and mitigate their influence. 

The United Nations Office of Information and Communication Technology (OICT) collaborated with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and its United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) to develop a software —goFintel—a user-friendly application that leverages state-of-art technology to improve financial analysis for the benefit of Member States.  

On 25 June, the Netherlands became the first country to deploy the goFintel software in support of the country’s efforts to counter terrorism financing and to increase its capacity in financial investigations and intelligence.   

“Finding practical and human rights-compliant solutions in the fight against terrorism financing is a key priority for UNOCT. The soft launch of goFintel marks a significant milestone, demonstrating that we are firmly on the right path” said Mauro Miedico, UNCCT Director. 
By leveraging the power of emerging technologies and international cooperation, goFintel provides Member States and their Financial Intelligence Units with a range of features that enable them to identify and investigate suspicious financial activity, while upholding human rights.  
"Innovations such as goFintel hold unprecedented potential in the fight against criminal and terrorist organizations and are crucial in safeguarding global security and upholding the rule of law," said Bernardo Mariano Jr., UN Chief Information Technology Officer and Assistant Secretary-General. 

UNOCT/UNCCT is also prioritizing a Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) review of the roll-out of goFintel to Member States to ensure compliance with international human rights law and norms, through a consultative process that will include engagement with civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders. 

goFintel is a modular framework that can be integrated alongside a Member State’s existing application. Current features include:  

  • data ingestion,  
  • data consolidation,  
  • automated screening,  
  • strategic analysis queries,  
  • an intuitive analytics tool and  
  • audit logging.  

UNOCT/UNCCT spearheaded the development of goFintel through its Global Programme on Countering the Financing of Terrorism in partnership with the FIU of the Netherlands and OICT, while coordinating closely with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which supports Member States with goAML, an Anti-Money Laundering software.   

The development and deployment of goFintel exemplifies the innovative solutions the United Nations can offer to Member States by leveraging the expertise and mandates of various offices across the Secretariat. CFT experts from UNOCT and coders from OICT have worked closely together to ensure that goFintel meets the needs of Member States in their fight against terrorist financing. 

To learn more, see Soft Launch of the GoFintel Software on the UNOCT website