Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - Internet

CTED-initiated process results in High-Level meeting on preventing terrorist use of the Internet

BMUSONI — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:07:00 +0000

print_screen_1.png

On 20 September 2017, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom co-hosted a high-level United Nations meeting on Preventing terrorist use of the Internet. President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni of Italy, Prime Minister Theresa May of the UK, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Google Kent Walker opened the meeting, which was held on the margins of the 72nd UN General Assembly. Linked to efforts initiated by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) with the industry to prevent and counter terrorism online, this was the first time that world leaders and technology executives at this level addressed the United Nations on the issue.

The high-level meeting sought to encourage governments and civil society groups to engage with the Global Internet Forum for Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), which Mr. Walker represented on the panel of speakers. When GIFCT was launched by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube on 26 June 2017, the then-Executive Director of CTED welcomed the initiative as elevating “our existing private-public partnership with these and other companies.” The high-level meeting recognized GIFCT as a global focal point in the digital battlespace against terrorists and commended its work in shaping future action needed to address this issue.

UK Prime Minister May commended the attendance at the event as evidence of the commitment held by governments, companies, and civil society in collaborating to protect citizens against the use of the Internet by terrorists to spread their ideology. Many of the speakers reiterated the importance of a global response to protect citizens from incitement through awareness and continued efforts in countering narratives.

According to Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management and the Head of Counter-terrorism at Facebook, GIFCT focuses participating companies’ efforts in a number of areas: Improving the means for detecting terrorist content, including through technical solutions like she Shared Industry Hash Database; commissioning research in this area; and sharing knowledge with counter-terrorism experts. “And through a joint partnership [with UN CTED and the ICT4��AV Initiative “Tech against terrorism”], we’ll work with smaller companies on all of the above.”

Ms. Bickert also emphasized that companies like Facebook and Google recognize the importance in helping people challenge extremist narratives in addition to removing content. The United States Department of Homeland Security representative Claire Grady concluded that “we cannot surrender the digital battlespace to violent extremists.”

The full webcast (in English) of the meeting can be found here.

The joint declaration by the three Heads of State/Government (in French) is available here.

Front Page Article:

Launch of “Tech Against Terrorism” — a partnership between technology companies, governments, and UN CTED

BMUSONI — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 09:18:00 +0000

(BRUSSELS) Technology can be used for good or for malicious purposes. Information and communications technologies (ICT) used for terrorist activities are often indistinguishable from regular usage. Also cross-border complexities of the Internet make addressing related issues challenging, particularly in the area of terrorist content.

“Tech Against Terrorism” is a new initiative launched on the margins of RightsCon (a major global event convened around issues related to the Internet and human rights) in Brussels that aims to help Member States and technology and communication companies with these and related issues. Smaller tech and social media companies face particular challenges — be they human, financial, or management-related — in developing and implementing measures to address terrorist activities online.

The second phase of a joint project between the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Swiss NGO ICT4��AV, with the support of ICT industry leaders, “Tech Against Terrorism” seeks to build bridges between public and private partners, ultimately leading to the development of a normative framework of self-regulation that can guide responses to terrorists’ use of the Internet, in compliance with international law standards.

The “Tech Against Terrorism” project will work with Member States and technology and communication companies to:
– Provide resources and guidance
– Offer a think tank environment and encourage peer learning and support from others who have faced similar challenges
– Develop links between startups and larger businesses, government, and academia.

More from ICT4��AV: http://ict4peace.org/?p=4868

———————————————–
For additional information, please contact Mattias Sundholm of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) at sundholm [at] un.org.

Front Page Article:

Special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and technical sessions of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on preventing and combating abuse of ICT for terrorist purposes, New York, 16-17 December 2015

BMUSONI — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 22:29:00 +0000

cted_ict_website_600px2_1.jpg

How can terrorists be stopped from exploiting the Internet and social media?

Special meeting of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate 16-17 December 2015

#RECLAIMINGTHEWEB

Webcast recordings of the event can be viewed here:

Terrorist groups continue to utilize the Internet and social media to facilitate their activities, including incitement to commit terrorist acts, radicalization to violence, recruitment, training, planning, collection of information, communication, preparation, financing, and execution of attacks. Surpassing Al-Qaida, the terrorist organization that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has successfully used the Internet to broadcast its ideology and to recruit foreign terrorist fighters on an unprecedented scale – with currently some 30,000 foreign fighters coming from over 100 countries.

On 17 December 2015, the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) will hold a special meeting on Preventing terrorists from exploiting the Internet and social media to recruit terrorists and incite terrorist acts, while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. This meeting will be complemented by CTED-organized thematic sessions (16-17 December), which will all take place in Conference room 1. The meeting will feature panellists from inter alia Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Weibo, as well as the Chief Prosecutor of Paris, and civil society activists engaging with terrorist recruiters on the digital frontlines.

The briefing is open to Member and Observer States, United Nations entities, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies. The event is also open to members of the media, including photographers, with a valid accreditation to the United Nations in New York.

Chair summary and plan of action

Concept Note

Special Meeting Agenda

Technical Meeting Agenda

Logistical Note

List of Hotels

Front Page Article:

CTED delegation meets with the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

BMUSONI — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:07:00 +0000

On 16 April 2015, on the margins of a three-day follow-up visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, the delegation representing the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee met with the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (RATS SCO), Mr. Zhang Xinfeng.

Following up to discussions held in New York in October 2014, parties discussed regional responses to the current threats and challenges, including: foreign terrorist fighters, terrorists’ abuse of the Internet, and violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. An estimated 2,500 persons from SCO Member States have left to participate in terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq, some with families and children. The Executive Directorate of CTC (CTED) briefed RATS SCO on global initiatives, including the upcoming special meetings of the Counter-Terrorism Committees.

In addition to experts from CTED, the delegation also included representatives from other United Nations bodies and partner international and regional organisations. The delegation was led by CTED Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Weixiong Chen.

RATS SCO, headquartered in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), is a permanent organ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which serves to promote cooperation of Member States against terrorism, separatism, and extremism, which it refers to as “the three evil forces.” RATS SCO includes six Member States (the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan), five observers, and three dialogue partners. More information is available here.

Front Page Article: