4-5 October 2023, Vienna, Austria – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) participated in and contributed to the Fourth Counter-terrorism Coordination Meeting of Parliamentary Assemblies and Second Policy Dialogue. The meeting was organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), with the financial support of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar, and in collaboration with OSCE PA.
Some 80 MPs from 16 international parliaments convened to, among others, a) review on-going international and regional terrorism and violent extremisms trends, especially with regard to the security deterioration in the Sahel; b) exchange views on how terrorism threats have an impact on youth. This not only as victims, but also as solution-makers and peer-leaders to better understand the root causes of violent extremism conducive to terrorism; and c) nominate and elect a Parliamentary Assembly for the next Presidency term.
PAM was represented by Hon. Dherar Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE, PAM Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Special Rapporteur on Women and Children in Armed Conflict, and Hon. Gennaro Migliore, PAM President Emeritus and Director of the newly established PAM’s strategic think tank, the Center for Global Studies (CGS), based in San Marino.
In their interventions, PAM representatives drew attention to the ongoing destabilization of the countries in Sahel by terrorist groups, military forces, and foreign actors, especially referring to the multitude coup d’état and the presence of the Russian-controlled Wagner mercenary Group. They expressed deep concerns over the degradation of living conditions of civilians in the area, who have become targets of intensifying terrorist attacks.
Hon. Migliore also announced that PAM is working on an upcoming communication campaign to raise greater awareness on the phenomenon of human trafficking, in particular trafficking and exploitation of women and children in armed conflicts, and its connection to terrorism.
Hon. Al Falasi raised the issue of the malicious use of new and emerging technologies by terrorist and criminal groups, and called for international cooperation towards the harmonization of legislative provisions to prosecute online providers that promote violent extremism and facilitate the recruitment of youth and children by terrorist organizations.
As a result of the two-day event, parliamentarians agreed to support a holistic and integrated approach among the 16 Assemblies participating in the Coordination Mechanism, with a special focus on countering terrorism in the Sahel region, the role of youth in preventing radicalization, and the interplay between artificial intelligence and violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
To conclude, Hon. Reinhold Lopatka (Austria), Chair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, was unanimously re-elected to the Presidency of the Coordination Mechanism. //