ICT4Peace was invited by the UN New York to moderate on 16 December 2015 a technical panel discussion on Collaboration between the Public and Private Sector to promote safety and counter messaging on the Internet, to prevent the recruitment of terrorists and incite terrorist acts, while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“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.” (UN CTED)
The panel session was organized by the UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), and included panelists from inter alia Facebook, Microsoft, Tencent, Symantec.
Topics covered by the panel were inter alia: The role of the private sector in ensuring a secure ICT environment, including best practices. The need for Governments to develop partnerships with the private sector. The existing engagement of many ICT sector leaders in preventing the use of their resources by terrorists organizations and how such engagement should be broadened to include more actors in the ICT sector. The importance of acting consistently with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The panel discussion moderated by ICT4Peace’s Daniel Stauffacher can be followed here (starts at 1:35:00 of recording).
On 17 December 2015, the members of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) also held a special meeting on Preventing terrorists from exploiting the Internet and social media to recruit terrorists and incite terrorist acts, where some of the findings of the UN CTED technical meeting were discussed.
In January 2016, UN CTED and ICT4Peace are launching a joint project to deepen the understanding of these and other related challenges and opportunities, including with a series of workshops with all stake holders in all the regions of the world.
(from right to left) Marc Porret (UNCTED), Ms. Monika Binkert (Facebook), Daniel Stauffacher (ICT4Peace Foundation)
