Before two-day meetingThe Chairman of the Commission, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj of India, spoke with United Nations News about how terrorists are exploiting social networks, mobile payment systems, 3D printing and other technological developments.
Highlighting the impact on society, she said, “their ease of access, affordability and near-universal reach, have opened up enormous opportunities for humanity, and made users are vulnerable to those with nefarious schemes”.
Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj of India and Chairman of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, briefs journalists at a press conference.
Terrorist propaganda spread
Ms. Kamboj explained the “pervasive use of social media for terrorist purposes to spread terrorist propaganda”, especially exposed in COVID-19 pandemic.
Terrorist groups take advantage of young people increase online presence during the crisis “to spread their propaganda and disinformation stories to recruiting and fundraising for terrorist purposes,” she said.
In addition to the Internet and social media, other innovations that benefit society – such as artificial intelligence, robotics and synthetic biology – are also causing concern because they can be used used for terrorist purposes.
Attacks involving unmanned aerial systems (UAS), such as drones, are currently being reported in many conflict zones, further complicating their legitimate uses. .
Two sides of a coin
Ms. Kamboj hopes that at the meeting, United Nations Member States, and experts from the private sector, academia and civil society, will discuss best practices for “sharing information to detect and prevent acts of terrorism, bring perpetrators to justice, and assist victims of terrorism. ”
This interview has been edited and condensed for publication.
United Nations News: What inspired the theme for this particular meeting? Are there any figures showing an increase in the use of new technology by certain groups, or are there any specific incidents that should raise alarm bells about the appropriateness of these new methods?
Ruchira Kamboj: The use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes is a matter of increasing concern. Member States already face a significant and growing threat from exploiting the Internet and social media platforms to facilitate a wide range of terrorist activities.
Terrorists are taking advantage of online spaces to build networks, procure weapons, and obtain financial and logistical support.
Of further concern is the use of emerging payment methods – such as prepaid cards and mobile payments, or virtual assets and online funding methods such as fundraising platforms. community – for terrorist purposes. There is also the potential to use emerging technologies including unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAS), artificial intelligence, robotics, synthetic biology, self-driving cars and 3D printing, for terrorist purposes. more father.
Of course, we must remember that technology is used for good. Many of the technologies I just mentioned are also extremely useful communication tools and services used by a large percentage of the global population.
The Security Council has focused on addressing new technologies in several counterterrorism resolutions, focusing on law enforcement and border control, aviation security, critical infrastructure protection, and other targets. soft.
The most recent Council resolution on counter-terrorism, Resolution 2617 of December 2021, referring specifically to other emerging technologies, makes an announcement about the growing threat posed by their use for terrorist purposes. In this resolution, the Council notes with concern the use of UAS by terrorists globally to launch attacks and acknowledges the need to strike a balance between promoting innovation and preventing misuse as its applications expand.
United Nations News: What are the main outcomes the meeting hopes to achieve?
Ruchira Kamboj: The special meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss how new technologies are currently being exploited for terrorist purposes, as well as how the terrorist threat posed by this exploitation is likely to evolve and evolve as as new technologies are developed and used by all types of users.
Discussions will also focus on ways in which States and other stakeholders can increase their engagement and cooperation with each other in combating the use of new and developing technology. for terrorist purposes, including the financing of terrorism.
As always, when considering counterterrorism and counterterrorism responses, human rights and gender dimensions are important components of the conversation.
The key outcome is understanding how States are responding to these evolving threats in a way that complies with their human rights obligations and encourages all of our partners to ensure that human rights are protected. respect as we strive to keep pace with ever-evolving technologies.
United Nations News: What are the Committee’s key recommendations to Member States for assessing new technology and terrorism?
Ruchira Kamboj: The use of new and evolving technologies to prevent and combat terrorist activities can be a very effective and powerful tool if used with full respect for international human rights law. The purpose of the meeting is to learn from the experiences of the Member States on how to strike the right balance.
United Nations News: Discussions will also look at how other areas, such as financial markets and private companies, can act to mitigate the problem.
Ruchira Kamboj: The answer to that is a ‘yes’. The special meeting will provide an opportunity for participants to focus on what steps can be taken to further develop and leverage public-private partnerships, exploring safety by designing best practices. good practices, and create monitoring, transparency and accountability mechanisms.
We are particularly looking forward to hearing from our private sector, academia and civil society partners about the initiatives they are undertaking in this regard.
Private sector parties as well as Member States have also increased the use of digital technologies to identify, prevent and prevent the financing of terrorism through online methods. . When used responsibly and in accordance with international law, technology can facilitate data collection, processing and analysis, and help parties identify and manage Terrorist financing risk more effectively and closer to real time.
Collaborative analytics and data aggregation activities can help financial institutions better understand, assist, and reduce the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. There are also a number of active uses for UAS to combat the movement of terrorists across borders, prevent terrorist activities, and secure public spaces and major events.
There is also a number of technologies being deployed to prevent UAS from being used for terrorist purposes.
United Nations News: Considering the assessments made by the Commission, what is the most harmful impact on people from using these new methods, especially on social media?
Ruchira Kamboj: On the one hand, the easy accessibility, affordability and near-universal accessibility of new and emerging technologies, which have opened up enormous opportunities for mankind, on the other hand also bring them together in an engaged environment, particularly leaving users vulnerable to actors with nefarious agendas.
For example, during the pandemic, youth’s growing online presence has been exploited by terrorist groups to spread propaganda and misinformation in order to recruit and raise funds for terrorist purposes. Father.
We have witnessed the rampant use of social media for terrorist purposes to propagate terrorism. So the ease of access, availability, affordability, and ubiquity of new and evolving technologies have impacted all sectors of society.
On the other hand, the widespread adoption of counter-terrorism measures also raises serious concerns.
Experience has shown that the indiscriminate use of technologies to combat terrorism can alienate people and negatively affect violent extremism and counterterrorism efforts. The UN continuously promotes a holistic, whole-of-society and inclusive approach to address the many challenges that arise around countering terrorism and violent extremism in favor of online terrorism. Civil society organizations, academia and private organizations have an important role to play in this regard.
United Nations News: Given the current scenario, is the Commission optimistic that the Security Council will reach a final agreement?
Ruchira Kamboj: Well, it is not necessary to reach any final agreement when it comes to preventing the use of new and evolving technologies for terrorist purposes.
With the trajectory of technological development driven by science, curiosity, profit and users, there is no clear end to what can be created. And that means there is no predictable end to what we do in the evolving terrorism landscape because any technology has the potential to be misused.
Each member of the Security Council and its Counter-Terrorism Committee is committed to taking an approach to combating terrorism, respecting the rule of law, and complying with their obligations under international law.
And finally, the Commission and the Council remain aware of the matter and will continue to work to fulfill the tasks set forth under the various Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism.
