UN Praises "Delhi Declaration" In Fight Against Terrorism Exploiting Tech

UN Security Council members have hailed the significance of the "Delhi Declaration" adopted at a special meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee in India last year, saying it offers a "solid basis" to counter the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes and symbolises the Council's "shared determination" to address the challenge.

The 15-nation Council, under the Presidency of Malta for the month of February, on Thursday held a meeting on 'Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts' during which the 16th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat was presented by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov.

On October 28-29 last year, the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), chaired by India in 2022, organised the Special Meeting in New Delhi and Mumbai on the overarching theme of "Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes".

As an outcome of the special meeting, the Committee adopted the "pioneer document" 'Delhi Declaration' on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.

Malta's UN envoy and Council President for February Vanessa Frazier told the Council meeting Thursday that she was pleased to attend the special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in India last year, and welcomed the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, "which symbolises the Council's shared determination to address this challenge." UAE Ambassador and Permanent Representative Lana Nusseibeh said the Counter-Terrorism Committee took a "key step" last year by adopting the Delhi Declaration which offers "non-binding guidance to stakeholders on how to counter the terrorist use of new and emerging technologies." The UAE took over as CTC Chair from India in 2023.

"As the current Chair of this Committee, the UAE intends to build on this important achievement," Ms Nusseibeh said.

Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative Gennady Kuzmin said that terrorist activities by ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and affiliated groups are the main threat to international security. Terrorists keep adjusting their tactics, widely use ICTs (Information and Communications Technologies) not only for financing their criminal activities, but also for spreading their ideology and plotting attacks.

"This is a universal problem that requires well-coordinated inter-state prevention mechanisms. In this respect, exclusive 'international partnerships' that bypass the existing inter-state platforms, including the United Nations, are unacceptable," Mr Kuzmin said.

"We welcome efforts made last year by India in its capacity as Chair of the CTC, thanks to which the Delhi Declaration was elaborated to counter the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes," the Russian envoy said.

Japan's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Shino Mitsuko said the recent development of emerging technologies can enrich people's lives, but at the same time poses a threat to international peace and security. "We commend the leadership of India for its timely adoption of the Delhi Declaration at the Security Council Counter-terrorism Committee last year." Ecuador's Permanent Representative Hernan Perez Loose said the use of technology to spread a narrative of violent extremism and the use of drones by terrorist groups constitute new challenges for the international community.

"...the Delhi Declaration on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes adopted by the Counter-Terrorism Committee in October 2022 is an example of how the Security Council can respond to the changing nature of terrorism." Noting the focus in the SG report on the growing use of new technologies by ISIL, Swiss Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl said with the Delhi Declaration, the Counter-Terrorism Committee has a "solid basis to consider this issue further." The report of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the threat posed by ISIL took note of the "Delhi Declaration" and also of the Presidential Statement, adopted under India's Presidency of the Security Council in December 2022, that had welcomed the adoption of the Delhi Declaration.

The report said that information and communications technologies such as internet and social media, new payment technologies and fundraising methods, and unmanned aerial systems, including drones, were the focus of six online technical sessions led by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate in September and October 2022.

"The sessions served to inform the special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, hosted by the Government of India on 28 and 29 October," it said.

"At the special meeting, the Delhi Declaration on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes was adopted unanimously by the Counter-Terrorism Committee to enhance the Security Council's approach to addressing this threat in a comprehensive and holistic manner," the report said.

It noted that the Delhi Declaration also reflected the Committee's intention to develop a set of non-binding guiding principles to further assist Member States in implementing relevant Council resolutions on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the importance of public-private partnerships, human rights and civil society engagement.

"In December, the Council adopted a presidential statement in which it welcomed the adoption of the Declaration," the report added.

The Delhi Declaration serves to focus attention on the scourge of terrorism and particularly the fact that it has raised its head in a "new avatar" where terrorists have been abusing, and misusing virtual platforms to forward their narrative, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj had said.

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