Tunisia: Launch of the 29th Arab Conference of Counter-Terrorism Officials

Tunis, Oct 14 (KUNA) -- The 29th Arab Conference of Counter-Terrorism Officials kicked off today, Wednesday, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab Ministers of Interior Council in Tunis, with representatives from the interior ministries of Arab countries participating.

In his opening address at the conference, which sees the participation of the State of Kuwait, Secretary-General of the Arab Ministers of Interior Council Mohamed Kouman condemned the resolute stance of the Council, expressing its absolute rejection and strong denunciation of the terrorist acts committed by the criminal Houthi group against civilians and civilian objects, and its targeting of holy sites. He considered these acts a blatant disregard for religious teachings and a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

Kouman expressed the Arab Ministers of Interior Council’s full solidarity and unwavering support for Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as its absolute endorsement of the measures they are taking to confront this criminal group, which has been listed for several years on the Arab Black List of planners, perpetrators, and financiers of terrorist acts.

He stressed the importance of the conference, which is being held during a sensitive period marked by numerous tensions, and highlighted the topics under discussion, foremost among them the financing of terrorism. He noted that interest in this issue stems from the conviction that targeting the funding received by terrorist organizations significantly impacts their operational capacity, whether in terms of recruitment, procurement of weapons and equipment, or securing logistical aspects.

He clarified that the conference will discuss two main items. The first concerns patterns and forms of terrorist financing and the means to combat it, based on data available to member states, with the aim of exchanging experiences and expertise and reviewing financing methods, particularly digital currencies, and effective means to counter them.

The second item relates to preventing, detecting, and disrupting the use of modern and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes, providing a framework to address the growing use of such technologies in crime and terrorism.

The conference will also examine the use of artificial intelligence in terrorism and ways to mitigate its dangers, following recent growing concerns about the potential loss of control over AI, the possibility of cyberattacks, and the design of biological weapons. Additionally, it will address the topic of extremism leading to terrorism and the significant role extremism plays in fueling terrorism. (End) S.B.M./A.M.S.