New York: Europe and the Arabs

The acting Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Alexander Zuev, stated that preventing violent extremism is not merely a security imperative, but also a challenge facing many societies, according to the UN Daily News. Zuev was speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York on the occasion of the International Day for Preventing Violent Extremism Leading to Terrorism, where he said this year's theme, emerging and new technologies, is "of paramount importance."

He added that new technologies, including artificial intelligence, hold real promise for prevention, from the early detection of harmful rhetoric to more targeted and informed community interventions.
However, he cautioned that these technologies are also "being misused to amplify disinformation and misleading information, spread violent extremist content, and enable radicalization and recruitment for terrorism, particularly among young people and adolescents."

He emphasized that the message of this day is clear: "We must seize the opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies, but we must also manage the risks transparently and accountably, with full respect for human rights." A Guide on Artificial Intelligence and Countering Violent Extremism

The Under-Secretary-General spoke about the events held at UN Headquarters to mark the day, including a session organized by the Office of Counter-Terrorism in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations.

He said the event emphasized the reshaping of the digital transformation of the environment for preventing violent extremism and the importance of cooperation from all sectors of society in this area.

He also mentioned another event entitled “From Principles to Practice: A Special Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.”

Zuev stated that during this event, “the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism’s Guide to Practice on Artificial Intelligence and Countering Violent Extremism, the first UN system-wide resource specifically focused on this topic, will be launched.”

Review of Counter-Terrorism Strategy

The Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism affirmed that the Office is expanding its practical support to help Member States address emerging risks in digital spaces and new avenues of action related to artificial intelligence and gaming systems, while strengthening evidence-based and human rights-based prevention approaches. He noted that Member States will conduct the ninth review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy later this year, twenty years after its initial adoption and ten years after the adoption of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.

He said: “This important milestone provides an excellent opportunity to assess how the threat has evolved, including in the digital space, and to ensure that our responses remain proactive, balanced, and effective.”