NEW DELHI: India will be hosting the UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee meeting for the first time later this month. The agenda would be to focus on threats imposed by technology including social media.
"All 15 permanent UNSC member states are expected to take part in this meeting spread over two days in Mumbai and Delhi (October 28th and 29th). The focus of the special meeting will be on addressing the use of new and emerging technologies for both terrorist purposes and for countering terrorism. This has been an issue of increasing concern for the Member States, policymakers and researchers,’’ say sources.
New and emerging technologies – particularly information and communications technologies (ICT) such as the Internet, social media platforms, and financial technologies have become a favoured tool for terrorists such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)/Da’esh, Al-Qaida, their affiliated groups, other terrorist organizations, and their supporters to engage in terrorism. The Member States already face a significant and growing threat including incitement to terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, recruitment, training, planning, networking, securing logistical support, acquiring weapons and their components, fundraising, and conducting terrorist operations.
Other objectives include identifying continuing challenges, sharing good practices in compliance with international human rights laws, industry action, public-private partnerships, legislative policy and regulatory responses, the UN said in a statement.
"The three main areas of discussion would include the use of social media, terrorism financing and unmanned aerial system (UAS),’’ according to the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).
With the growing prevalence of technology and the rapid rise in digitization, addressing the use of new and emerging technologies for both terrorist purposes, the UN Security Council has given focus to this issue in a number of counter-terrorism-related resolutions, most recently its resolution 2617 (2021), which specifically refers to “emerging technologies”.
Terrorists move or store funds through the use of digital marketplaces and wallets, online payment platforms and applications, mobile payments or virtual currencies. There is also an increased risk of the abuse of the Internet by terrorist organizations for fundraising through crowdfunding, merchandise sales, donation appeals through social media platforms, and other methods. At the same time, innovations in financial technologies, products and services offer significant economic opportunities and provide effective tools to respond to emerging threats.
Mindful of the increasing threat posed by the misuse of new and emerging technologies, this meeting will include the participation of relevant operational partners, including United Nations organizations, international and regional organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs), private-sector entities, and members of the Global Research Network (GRN) of the CTED.
"The Special Meeting in India will provide an overview of the ways in which the Member States are deploying new and emerging technological developments. Secondly, they will update member states on threats posed by terrorists. Thirdly, they would be able to identify continuing challenges. Lastly, members will be able to share good practices in legislative, policy, and regulatory responses with international human rights law,’’ said sources.
The Special Meeting would also provide an opportunity to reflect on the work of the Committee, CTED, taking into consideration specific gender aspects relating to digitalization and technology.