The Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Qazi Shaukat Fareed, participated at the Special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and technical session of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate with Member States and relevant international and regional organizations, civil society and the private sector on “Preventing the Exploitation of Information and Communications Technologies for Terrorist purposes, while Respecting Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”. The meeting was held at the UN Headquarters in New York on 30 November – 1 December 2016.
The objective of the special meeting was to discuss technological and law enforcement challenges and effective measures taken in this area within the framework of the implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and 2178 (2014) and to improve cooperation between Governments, the private sector and civil society, where appropriate, with a view to preventing and countering the relative ease with which terrorists utilize cyberspace for terrorist purposes.
Amb. Fareed recalled that further to the meeting between Mr. Jean-Paul Laborde, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and the PAM delegation on the margins of the 71st Session of the UNGA, in the framework of the cooperation established between the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and CTED, PAM was requested to assist in associating the countries of central Asia to the joint efforts to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the relevant UNSC Resolutions to counter Terrorism and the action of FTFs.
To follow up on this request, PAM has taken the necessary actions and on the occasion of the 45th Plenary Session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations, held in St. Petersburg (Russia) on 24-25 November 2016, where a PAM Senior delegation addressed the political Committee of the IPA CIS, as well as its Plenary Session. In St. Petersburg all the delegations participating in the IPA CIS welcomed the cooperation and committed to work with PAM and CTED, and indicated their intention to participate and contribute to the joint UNODC/PAM event, which will take place in Rome on 23-24 March 2017, hosted by the Italian Parliament.
Ambassador Fareed also referred to the High Level meeting of the PAM 3rd Standing Committee, which will take place in Rome on 15 December 2016, in the presence of the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Religious Affairs of Morocco, aimed at analyzing the role of political and religious leaders in countering violent extremism and terrorism through intercultural/religious dialogue.
He concluded that PAM will remain committed to support the work of the CTC, CTED and UNODC, through its network and tools provided by parliamentary diplomacy.