Paris will host on Wednesday an international conference on combating the financing of ISIS, al-Qaeda and their affiliates under the slogan of “No Money For Terror.” Initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, who will deliver a speech during the conference, the two-day discussions scheduled at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris, will bring together over 450 international experts on combating terrorism and its financing. Elysee Palace sources said Macron wants to assume a leading role in the fight against financing of terrorist groups. French ministers have invited their counterparts from some 70 states, and the leaders of almost 20 international and regional organizations and specialized agencies. French ministers will lead separate round-table discussions, during which they will invite their counterparts to come up with concrete solutions. Paris invited all Arab states excluding Syria. The French capital also eliminated Iran from the list of invitees. “Iran is not an easy partner. We did not want to invite a party that can constitute an element of confusion and disruption,” official French sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, in reference to the current dispute between Gulf Cooperation Council states and Tehran. Another reason for shunning Iran is Washington’s sanctions against the countrys continued development of its ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism. The states and organizations invited to the conference will be asked to endorse the “Paris Declaration,” which will encourage participating countries to improve their domestic mechanisms in order to more effectively collect, exchange and process financial intelligence. The participants will also share their analyses of future risks, so that they can plan ahead. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Macron might take the recommendations from the Paris Declaration to the United Nations to garner international legitimacy.