Arab Conference Calls for Enhancing Use of Modern Technologies and Financial Analysis Tools to Combat Terror Financing

Tunis, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- The 29th Arab Conference of Counter-Terrorism Officials, held in Tunis on Thursday, called for enhancing the use of modern technologies and advanced financial analysis tools to monitor and detect financial activities and networks linked to terrorist financing, and for developing the capacities of specialized security and financial personnel in digital financial analysis and tracking suspicious financial flows.

The General Secretariat of the Arab Ministers of Interior Council said in a statement marking the conference’s conclusion that participants emphasized the need to improve preventive and proactive measures in Arab countries to confront terrorist activities, strengthen cooperation and coordination among security agencies and relevant financial and regulatory authorities, and exchange information and expertise on emerging patterns and methods of terrorist financing, particularly those involving virtual assets and modern electronic payment methods. This would contribute to developing early detection mechanisms for such activities and mitigating their risks to Arab societies.

The conference also urged member states to continue developing their national counter-terrorism strategies and plans in line with rapid technological developments, especially artificial intelligence, and to leverage these technologies to enhance the capacities of relevant agencies to prevent, monitor, and counter terrorist threats in accordance with their national legislation.

It further encouraged member states to strengthen cooperation and exchange information and expertise on the ways and methods by which terrorist organizations exploit artificial intelligence technologies, particularly in the fields of extremist propaganda, recruitment, incitement, and dissemination of misleading content, and to work on building the capacities of specialized security agencies to detect and confront such activities early.

The statement added that the conference, held over two days, examined recent developments in the field of terrorism and effective means to confront it, and reviewed the experiences of some member states in countering terrorist acts, urging all countries to benefit from them. It also requested the General Secretariat to circulate the working papers presented at the conference, including the paper prepared by the Arab Academy for Security Sciences on “Confronting the Roots of Violent Extremism and Terrorism,” for member states to utilize.

The conference was held under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Arab Ministers of Interior Council, with participation from counter-terrorism officials from Arab interior ministries, the head of the Arab Experts Team on Counter-Terrorism, and representatives from Arab interior ministries, Interpol, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, and the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force. (End) S.B.M./H.S.S.